Become Popular if You Are a Weird Girl

Just because you might dress differently or be into different kinds of music than most of your classmates doesn’t mean you can’t still have a lot of friends. Friendships are built on more than just similar tastes in pop culture. The best friendships are the ones where you can stay true to yourself and, at the same time, be accepting of others.

Steps

Owning Your Weirdness

1. Love what makes you unique. Maybe you feel you’re a little weird because you like to dress differently than others. Perhaps you are into music or movies that not a lot of you peers find appealing or cool. Start to look at these things as positives. No one wants to be exactly like everyone else. The world would be boring if everyone was the same.
2. Know your strengths. Socializing takes a lot of skill and effort. Realizing what you are already good at will help your self confidence and give you a good place to start while you learn to develop other skills.
   • Maybe you are really strong writer and can communicate well in email, text, or in letters.
   • You might have a great sense of humor. People love to laugh and will be attracted to your presence if they know you can give them a good chuckle.
   • If you are shy, list some other things you have to offer. You might know a lot about a certain subject or be really good at sports or other physical activities. These can be great ways to meet people by offering to help out in art class or joining a sports team.
3. Respect the weirdness in others. Realize that everyone has a thing about them that they are afraid others might think is “weird” or “uncool”. Letting go of judgements you may have about other people’s quarks is just you doing the same thing you want them to do for you.
4. Don’t let the weird things define you completely. Let all the sides of your personality show. You shouldn’t have to change who you are to make friends or become popular. That said, sometimes our own eccentricities can seem so big that it becomes difficult for others to see beyond the things that make you “weird”. Remind yourself that you are more than just the way you dress or the types of anime you watch or the music you love. Those things are part of you but not all of you, so let people see your other sides.
   • Join a club you are interested in but don't know much about.
   • Recommend a book to someone. Ask them to recommend one to you.

Making Friends

1. Look for common interests. Even though the other kids might not dress like you or be into a lot of the same things, you can always find something to talk about. People will be more receptive to someone they think is different if they feel they can connect with them. Try talking about things you have in common like homework assignments, teachers you like (or don’t like), parents or a popular television show.
2. Introduce yourself. Go up to a group of people at the lunch table or during a free period to introduce yourself.
   • “Hi! I’m Mary. Did you guys understand the math homework?”
   • “Hey! I was wondering if any of you wanted to share some of my cheetos with me? My name's Danna, by the way.”
3. Ask questions. People love to talk about themselves so give them the opportunity! Ask about them questions about their day or what kinds of things they are into.
   • Follow your own curiosity. Ask about things you truly want to know more about.
   • “Do you have any siblings?”
   • “What is your favorite thing about being on the hockey team?”
4. Listen. Actively listen when people speak to you. Show them you are focused on what they are saying by making eye contact and nodding or smiling in response to what they are saying.
5. Be kind. If you feel like you are a weird girl, you may have encountered some bullying or rude comments from others. Some people choose to put down people because they are different or because they don’t understand why the person is the way they are and that makes them uncomfortable. Don’t sink to that level. You’ll make stronger friendships if with kindness.
   • Offer to help people if they are having trouble with an assignment at school.
   • Share gum or mints with others.
   • Say please and thank you.

Becoming More Well Known

1. Wear your weirdness. The things that make you weird and unique can work for you if you use them right. Let your weirdness show with a colorful outfit or crazy but stylish haircut. Become known as the girl who breaks the mold when it comes to fashion.
2. Use social media. Becoming really active on Instagram or Snapchat is a great way to grow your social circle. You can post pictures of your outfits, friends, art projects, favorite bands or anything else that interests you. Tag people you know or people you want to get to know.
3. Throw a party. Invite lots of new people you want to get to know better. Consider having a fun theme for your party, maybe based around a popular television show or a type of music you like. Keep in mind what other people like as well. Try to make the party welcoming to new friends, even as you stay true to what you love and care about.
4. Be helpful. You can develop a great reputation among your peers by being someone that is always ready to stick their neck out to help others. Offer to help other students carry their books, work on homework, or maybe even talk to a crush.

Finding Your Group

1. Rethink what popular means. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the idea of popularity being about hierarchy, who has the most friends or gets the most attention. In reality, popularity tends to come to those who are kind, good listeners, and inclusive of others.
   • Ask yourself if this group is the kind of popular group you want to be part of.
2. Don’t change who you are at your core. Meeting new people might require you to learn some new skills and step outside your comfort zone a bit, but you should never sacrifice your core values just to make friends.
3. Start a club at school centered around what you into. Know matter what you are into there is always someone else out there that shares your interests. You just have to be willing to look.
   • Ask a teacher or counselor to help you start a video game or J-pop club.
   • Make it open to new comers and hard core fans alike.

Related Articles

• Change How You Think About Popularity
• Be a More Confident Teen
• Stand Out in Your School

Sources and Citations

See also

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• Be Overweight and Popular
• Be a Confident Teenage Girl
• Stop Hating Yourself
• Feel More Confident at School
• Know if You Are Growing Taller
• Be a Confident Beautiful Black Girl
• Cope With Being Small
• Be Yourself As a Young Teen
• Get Over Being Used

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