Before you think of any strategies to change your classmates’ perception about you, it’s imperative that you first harmonise your own attitude and perception about them. Ideally, you should carry out a thorough self evaluation to validate your own degree of gregariousness and generosity with your classmates. This will serve to tactfully capture their positive attitude and certainly secure you an exciting technical social network with constructive academic acumen.

Human interaction is a basic need and achieving this requires a significant level of efforts not only to attract their positive attitude but also maintain an ongoing healthy relationship required in any social interactive environment like an academic institution. Consequently, try to reinforce your feelings of competence through indulging in co-curricular activities like sports, debates, music, dance and drama. Such activities are an incredible source of knowledge, affection and belonging. This will ensure free classroom participation and play a profound role in strengthening your level of concentration and certainly improve your academic performance.

Observe a substantial set of moral standards expected in normal human conduct in terms of word utterances and other non verbal communications like facial expression, voice intonation and use of gestures when initiating or reacting to their different forms of communication. Pamper your classmates by learning to listen to them and show willingness in responding to their questions not only to create a well balanced learning environment, but also boost your own confidence in class. Group discussions could also serve to circumvent loneliness and make learning much easier and enjoyable.

Early school friendship is rewarding because if properly maintained, it can be good for you today and in the future. How many people do you see today achieving fantastic privileges just because of the strings attached to early school friendship? Don’t relax, time is ripe for you to create good friends but be careful as not to take on with wrong peers that have destructive ideas and practices like drug abuse and fornication. These may gradually mislead you and ruin your expected bright future.

The writer is a counsellor

 Your Debate

Look for friends who you can trust and share that problem with them. Once a probem is identified, it is half solved. Let your friends or class mates know who you are and they will handle you accordingly.

Saturday January

Don’t work to impress others as long as what you are doing is right. As long as you are minding your academics, don’t worry about what others say about you. They will eventually understand you are come to you.

Faustin Nikwigize

Try hard to associate with your classmates because that is what makes you part of the community. If you don’t, regardless of how well you perform in class, you will always be lonely.

Jane Nakaayi

First understand that you will always need friends in your life whether you are poor or rich. Find colleagues or teachers to talk to about your problem and they will assist you. Your parents can also be of great help.

Fashaho Rwibutso