How to Be Cool in High School and What Not to Do

High School is one of the most memorable stages of a person’s life.  Because it is so significant, it can be the hardest to get through.  Social status is of utmost importance at this age, so if you want to be cool here are things you should and shouldn’t do.

5. Image: Fashion and Body

I’ll be first to admit that High School is one of the most superficial places on Earth. To be cool you need to look cool.  Styles change from one minute to the other so try to stick to current trends.  The best advice is to wear fitting and clean clothes.  Going classic is always the safest choice.  Avoid over-styling yourself by wearing excessively bright colors or ridiculous outfits.

Body image is just as important as clothes.  Hit the gym and the track and start eating healthy.  Nothing is cooler than walking out of the gym with a six pack or toned legs – regardless of what you’re wearing.

4. Get Into Fads

High Schools are micro-cultures with their own identities and their own fads.  When I was in High School, having the latest MP3 player was the coolest thing to do (this was before the iPod came out).  Technology is always a good route.

For guys, you can never go wrong with sports.  Join a team or follow national leagues.  For women, fashion and entertainment seem like the best long-standing fads.

Avoid getting involved in less – for lack of a better word – geeky trends.  Videogames, non-sport sports like table tennis or bowling, or chess.  Some can be cool in your particular high school; I remember Dodgeball was a big fad in mine.  However, use your judgment when getting into these types of fads.

3. Associate with the Right Crowd

Like-minded people tend to gravitate towards each other.  If you want to be cool, you must hang out with other cool people.  Plus, their personalities will rub off on you the more you spend time with them (which may not be such a good thing.)  Being cool isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Sometimes you have to sacrifice things like spending time with people you would prefer to hang out with.

2. Be Talented

People envy others with talent; a basic litmus test for popularity is the number of people that are jealous of you.  Learn a skill, preferably one that is geared towards an audience like music or sports.

1. Party

Partying is the epitome of High School coolness because it combines music, teenagers, and disobedience.  Find out the next party and start socializing. 

Although many people may drink at a High School party, it is definitely not cool to get drunk when you are underage.  Juvenile Hall may sound cool but crying and begging the police officer to be nice to you and let you go when you are slurring and stumbling is a great way to be the laughing stock of your school.