Moving cities and changing schools

Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 January 2010 08:24

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Moving cities can be a really hard transition to have to go through. Leaving your friends, school, and sometimes family is never easy and no matter how old you are, it never gets easier!

In this section we hope to help get your head around some of the bigger questions you might be asking yourself.

Will I make new friends and will I keep in touch with my old friends?

Every situation is different, and so it’s hard to know what’s going to happen when you move cities. Chances are that you will probably keep in touch with your closest friends, and with most people using MySpace, Bebo and Facebook it makes it even easier to keep in touch- even on a daily basis!
So while you might be worried about losing touch with your friends, try to keep in mind how easy it is to stay in touch.
If you are moving to a city and starting a new school, then you will have plenty of opportunities to make friends. Don’t be shy about it either- if you played a sport, were in the drama team or school orchestra at your old school, why not try out for these things at the new school too? That way you might meet some people straight off the mark that are interested in the same things as you.
If you don’t want to join any of these groups then make sure you talk to people in your new class and get to know them- you’re bound to meet someone that you can really click with!

Will I still get to see my mum/dad that will still be living in my old city?

If your parents are divorced and you are moving cities with one parent then this is probably going to be a pretty tough time for you. Don’t let yourself get too down though, because like your friends there are still ways you can keep in touch regularly.
Get your parent to sign up to a networking site (like Bebo, Facebook or MySpace). Although it might not be there thing, if you explain to them how frequently you use it then they may be willing to give it a go too.
If they just can’t seem to get the hang of using these sites, then make sure you both have an email address set up (you can set up free accounts with Hotmail or Gmail) so that you can write to each other.
And what’s wrong with a good old fashioned telephone call? Both Telecom and Vodafone have good calling and texting deals at the moment, Vodafone’s ‘Best Mate’ deal allows you to call, txt, and video call one person all you like for only $6 a month!! Now that’s what I call a deal!

What if I don’t like my new school- at all?

Firstly, make sure you give it a good go. The first few weeks might be a bit rough as you try to adjust to making friends and what might be a totally different environment to your old school, but remember that for most people this phase will pass.
If these weeks pass and you still feel miserable then it’s important to make sure you know what it is that’s making you feel stink, so that you can explain how your feeling to your parents. Is it the teachers? Is it the other students? Is it the rules of the school? When you can figure this out, you can talk to the guidance counsellor or your parents who can help you to figure out what your next step might be. It could be that you live in a small town and there are no other options school wise, but that doesn’t mean that there are no options full stop. It could be that simply changing class would fix the problems that you’ve been having. If you live in a larger town or city you may have the option of switching schools, but make sure you have a good chat with your parents first.