Be a good person when you first meet someone, and you’ve got them hooked. After that, it’s just a variation of your personality that they can get over. So here we go —

Middle school. And yes, it spans all the way back to then. I was the smart kid, the well-behaved girl who answered questions in class and did her homework. Common fact: get the teachers on your side at the beginning of the year, and you’ve got it made for as long as you’re at that school.

Examples:
Forgot homework in the locker? Oh she’s just a good kid who pciked up the wrong notebook. We all make mistakes. Go run and get it real quick, C.J.

Giggling in class? Carolyn is usually so well-behaved. She’s probably in a good mood or had just a bit too much candy. She’ll settle down in a minute.

Walking down the hall when students aren’t supposed to? That’s Carolyn! Of course she’s not skipping. She’s probably heading to the library or running an errand for a teacher.

Of course, being able to earn this reputation has its downfalls. As you get on the good side of the teachers, you are bound to get on the bad side of the stupid popular kids. Of course, as far at networking goes, they probably won’t be able to help you out later in life anyway. They won’t remember you anyway. In fact, it’s more likely that I’ll always remember them and end up helping them out or something. Unless their parents with money take them places.

And back to high school, but with more freedom. You can get away with skipping classes, going into teacher staff rooms, and what not without being hasseled. Then again, I wasn’t doing anything bad, probably minor infringements like using the copy machine to copy my art history textbook so I wouldn’t have to carry it around, checking the journalism teacher’s mailbox to see if we got any entries, or walking around the halls to talk to teachers. But this is the way it should be. Let the teachers trust you, and you can do what you want. Hint to this: walk with a purpose. If you look guilty, they’ll think you are and stop you.

Now in college, it’s the same. No one cares where you’re walking and when or if you’re skipping class or not. But you can use a phone, a computer, some paper if you happen to be stopping by the office.

And at any point in life? Agaisnt the opposite sex. I’ve figured out that I subconsciously act as whatever type of person seems appealing to the guy when I first meet him. It’s not drastic, though. Everyone has different points of seriousness, sillyness, emotional attentiveness, and extreme likes and dislikes. I’m more serious with the silent types and emo with the emo types. Act sportier with the sport guys and nerdier with the video game guys. And you don’t have to be an expert — that’s not you, and you don’t want to completely lie. Just act interested, which is true. After all, you’re interested in the guy.

Either way, you’ve got to be witty and flexible. Don’t be clingy and always try to make a comeback comment, even if it’s lame. It’s goofy and cute. And don’t be too opinionated. Once you’ve got the person hooked (if you really want him or her after changing yourself) then you can truly show personality, and they love you anyway. It already always seems like that’s what happens when people get deeper into relationships.