Top tips for making friends at your new school

Lots of you will soon be starting new schools, and although some of you might be going to the same school as your friends, starting a new school is also an opportunity to meet lots of new people and make new friends. For others, you might not know anyone at all and it might feel like you're having to start friends from scratch.

This can be exciting but it can also make us feel worried and anxious in case things don't turn out they way we want them to.

So what are some ways building new friendships can become easier?

Newsround asked clinical psychologist Dr Hazel Harrison for some good advice - and if you have any tips, leave them in the comments below.

You're not the only one

She says that it's ok and normal to feel nervous but to remember that starting a new school or class is a great time to make new friends!

She added: "Because you're not the only one who is feeling that way there will be other people going to that class or going to that school who will also perhaps be looking out for making new friends."

Why is making friends important?

Dr Hazel says that friendships are really important throughout our whole lives.

"What we know about friendships is that it helps us not just to feel good in ourselves but also it can be really helpful for our physical health too. We know that having friends and feeling like we've got support is good for our bodies as well as our minds," she said.

"They can make us feel happy, improve our confidence in things and can help us to take in a new perspective or learn something new, because perhaps we make friends with people who have different skills or abilities than the ones that we have."

What about when we go through difficulties with our friendships?

Dr Hazel says this is something that we can expect to happen sometimes when it comes to our friendships too.

She added: "During childhood is a good chance to practise how to make friends, how to keep friends, and how to get through some of the high and lows of making and keeping friends because sometime we fall out with our friends too."

She said, "One of the things that often happens during childhood is having times where we also feel a bit lonely - and that's really normal.

"Lots of people experience moments where they feel lonely, where they perhaps feel like they're being left out, as well as moments where they feel like they've really got a good crowd of friends around them."

What should you do if you're feeling really nervous about speaking to new people?

"One of the things that you could try telling yourself is that you probably only have to be brave for a few seconds - just to maybe say hi to someone or ask if you can join in a game."

That's a key piece of advice Dr Hazel has for overcoming your nerves: "Another really great way to make friends is to look out for what people are interested in and see if you can find some shared interests.

"Perhaps you notice that someone else supports the same football team as you or someone is interested in a particular hobby that you also really like - that another great way to find something you have in common with someone else."

Should I be worried if I don't make friends straight away?

Dr Hazel says this can often be the case.

"Sometimes you might meet people on the first day who you can be friendly with, but it turns out that they're not actually going to be your best friends, and that happens," she told Newsround.

"Sometimes making friendships can also be about being patient. Over time you might find the people you feel like you can truly be yourself with and to me I think that is what a great friend is - one that just lets me be who I am. "

What if it is taking a really long time for me to make friends?

Dr Hazel says if it has taken longer than we though to make friends, then talk to an adult that you trust because "sometimes we just need a bit of extra help in making friends".

She said: "Often children worry that if they found making friends difficult it means that there is something wrong with them.

"That is definitely not the case. It's just hard sometimes to find the people that we want to connect with."

She added: "I think a really good strategy is to just to try and be friendly with others, even if you haven't yet found a way to make friends.

"We can be kind to other people and that is a really great way to start making friendships even if it takes a bit more time."