Make a list of things you want to change about yourself. Don't get too worked up about personalities and permanent physical features, like your nose, chest, or hair. Those things will change automatically over time. Think about your clothing style, your manners, your hairstyle/color, and your exercise and eating habits, (these are CRUCIAL in high school). Make a list of REALISTIC possibilities for things you can change without spending a lot of money or overexerting yourself.
Start with clothing. Go through your closet. As in, "Okay, I'm laying ALL of my clothes out on my floor and seeing what I want and don't want. Let's turn up the tunes and get to it!" Make a pile of DONATIONS, things that are still in good shape but you don't want, including last season's clothes and shirts that are too small. You could make crafts out of them if you're handy, but it's a better choice to give them to someone who needs them and will wear them a lot. Make a pile of THROW AWAY, things that are beyond repair and would not be used by a dog, much less a human. Again, crafty people can use these things, and it's much better for the environment if you use this material, instead of perfectly good clothing. Bag up the donations and give them to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Amvets; and throw away the others. Now you've got some things to work with. Try new combinations of the clothing you already have, by adding different techniques like layering or adding prints, or reinvent them with accessories like jewelry, hats, belts, and shoes. If you want to go really far, even start picking out whole outfits for days where you need to get out of the house quickly, and don't have time to do a fashion show.
Go shopping! Stick to a small budget and buy two or three outfits from a cheap but stylish store (such as Target, Walmart, Kohl's, Marshall's, or T.J. Maxx's) that can be easily mixed and matched with your existing choices. Buy pairs of quality, inexpensive shoes. Bonus if they can be worn with a casual and a formal outfit with little alteration. Buy lots of cute clips/head accessories and earrings and jewelry. Don't go too bulky or overwhelmingly colorful. For high school, jackets and bags will be your BEST FRIENDS. Jackets will make sure that you don't freeze with school's varying temperatures. Buy a tote bag to carry your books around in the halls, or re-purpose an old one.
Recreate your personality. This is something that will be crucial from your freshman year, the year that you discover yourself. If there is something changeable that annoys others, do your best to fix it. For example, if you are very sarcastic during tender moments, try to monitor your speech. When you constantly interrupt people, see if you can hold your tongue and listen more. However, if it's something that you just don't see yourself changing in an instant, like shyness or saying embarrassing things, don't worry. You have plenty of time-just be glad that you know how it affects others.
Mind your Manners. These are basic. Don't eat with your mouth open. Don't beg for things if you've already been told no. Say please and thank you. Greet someone when they walk up to you. Some are more tricky, like don't hold grudges, don't be jealous, and compliment others freely. You can find many manner websites, even ones written for teens, that tell you how to behave and what NOT to do in different situations.
Try to have a friend or two in every "group." Be friends with some of the goths, preps, nerds, populars, and especially those who you were friends with in middle school. Don't leave your friends behind just because you want to change yourself. Make sure you keep that in mind. Even if you realize that you are drifting apart, don't just abandon them, especially during a rough transition to high school.
Don't be a jerk or a snob. Just because you may get lots of attention for the way you change (both good and bad) doesn't mean you're suddenly the most popular person on earth, and it especially doesn't mean that you can act like you think you are. Be nice to everyone, even the teachers and students you may not like as much. If you find yourself being mean to others, calm down, take a deep breath, and examine the issue from afar. Remember that everyone needs kindness.
Have fun with it! There's nothing more fun than experimenting with a new look and a new you. Enjoy high school! They're going to be the most important 4 years of your entire life.
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