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Remember about a decade ago when you left the protection of your parents’ wings for the first time for a half day of coloring, counting and napping? That was kindergarten – the time when your parents dragged you into unfamiliar territory and left you to survive on your own. You may have initially cried and stomped to display your disapproval, but chances are you became instant best friends with the first person you encountered at the Lego table. Your memory of the experience might be a little fuzzy, but I guarantee that five-year-olds weren’t mingling with only those in their exclusive social circle. Kindergarten was the time when everyone was the new kid, thrown into a room of strangers and left to thrive.

Welcome to the Club
Over the years, that chaotic classroom has evolved – not just because you’ve gotten older, but you and your classmates have come to identify with certain cliques of friends. Although movies often depict the jocks, drama freaks, skaters, hicks, goth kids and band geeks, you don’t have to look to Hollywood portrayals of cliques to understand how they work.

“For the most part, cliques are just a Hollywood stereotype of high school or a rare occurrence in real life,” said Abby Hauver, graduate of Lansing High School in Lansing, Kan. “Sure, people tend to hang out with a group of friends, but that has to do with being comfortable with people that are like you.”

Look around your high school cafeteria. Chances are you can categorize the lunchroom tables. People tend to gravitate toward those who look like them, act like them and do what they do. But the question is, do you really want people to assume they know who you are and what you’re all about based on a quick glance? One would hope not.

Exploring the Unknown
“A group of friends becomes a clique when it becomes exclusive and starts putting others down to make their group seem superior,” said Hauver. “A group of friends are just people who like hanging out with each other and feel comfortable around those people.”
Cliques sometimes provide security for people who aren’t completely confident in their own personality or haven’t made an effort to branch out. While it’s nice to have common interests with the people you spend time with, you can also explore and try new things by hanging out with a different crowd.

Whether you’ve been able to shoot three-pointers since you could stand or have starred in school drama productions since you learned to say, “To be or not to be,” now is the time to break out of the social restraints you have set for yourself. You’ll not only grow as a person, but you can also provide colleges with a more diverse admissions application.

Spread Your Wings
Since your time at high school is coming to an end, remember you’re truly going to leave your parents’ nest when you go off to college. This will be the opportune time for you to broaden your horizons. Just try to handle this transition a little bit differently than you did during kindergarten. No stomping or crying this round, but bring back the same assertiveness you had as a child. Make an effort to meet people from diverse backgrounds and people with different hobbies. Consider living in the college dorms. Join clubs. College is a fresh start at the Lego table.