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" The start of a new school year is such an exciting time, no matter what grade you&amp;#039;re in. One of my favorite parts of going back to school is the opportunity to meet new people. I have a few really close friends, both girls and guys, that have been part of my life for a while, but some of the people that I like to hang out with the most are people that I&amp;#039;ve met within the past year or two. I know that sometimes it can be intimidating to meet new people, especially guys, but I think I&amp;#039;ve gotten better at navigating the terrain. First, just introduce yourself. In class, many students sit down and take out their books, without saying a word to the person next to them, but I always try to introduce myself right away. You never know if the guy next to you could turn out to be a great new friend, boyfriend, or an even better lab partner. Guys are more likely to help you out and want to talk to you if you&amp;#039;re friendly right from the start. When I was in middle school, I went through a really bad awkward stage, and I remember one mean girl couldn&amp;#039;t believe that the &amp;quot;cutest guy&amp;quot; in the school had a crush on me. When she asked him why, he said it was because he thought I was nicer than the popular girls. That is still one of the best compliments I&amp;#039;ve ever gotten. Second, if you&amp;#039;re interested in a guy romantically, don&amp;#039;t make it too obvious at first. Just be yourself and try to form a friendship. Many relationships start from friendships anyway, and then it&amp;#039;s less nerve wracking if the two of you do actually go on a date! Last, try to remember that some guys are just as nervous talking to girls, so don&amp;#039;t be embarrassed if there is a weird silence or you think you said something dumb. No one is cool every second of every day. If you really get along with a guy that you&amp;#039;ve met recently, it&amp;#039;s totally fine to ask him to hang out or invite him to a party with a group of people. There&amp;#039;s a difference between being forward and being friendly, so just make sure that you&amp;#039;re not texting him, say, ten times in a row. Play it cool, ladies! School started for me last week and I&amp;#039;m happy to say that I think I&amp;#039;ll have a new buddy in most of my classes. Suffering through chemistry together can be a really bonding experience.  Isabelle blogs about dating for Seventeen every Thursday. Click here to read her last post! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/love/dating-advice/a21082/meet-new-guys-at-school/>