Blog Post #1 : Impressions

Welcome to my first post! This website is a safe space, where I post advice on a variety of topics, based on my personal experience as a high school student, and I'm so excited to share my first post with you!

Today's Topic: Making a Good First Impression

This topic is definitely one I think is crucial to success in all aspects of your life, and as this is my first post, I definitely want my blog to make a good first impression!

Impressions are EVERYTHING, especially when meeting someone for the first time. When you're introducing yourself, you are essentially marketing yourself to those around you. How do you want them to view you? Snobby, closed off, and negative? Or confident, positive, and friendly? You're most likely going to want them to like you, and feel comfortable approaching you again, and making a good first impression makes that possible.

In my experience, the first step in this process is smiling. Seems pretty simple, right? Studies have shown that smiles are contagious, and have positive effects on your brain. So logic follows that when you smile at people, you are making a positive impression, and their brain will associate you with positive thoughts. Would you feel comfortable with someone if they were contantly glaring at you? Probably not, so smiling is a great way to make someone remember you in a good way.

Engaging in the conversation is another great way to make sure people remember you as a friend. People love to talk about themselves, so ask as many questions about them as you can! This shows that you are interested, and care about what they have to say. Another easy way to make a good impression is using the other person's name in coversation. It may seem like a super small detail to remember, but it makes a huge difference. It's easy to do, as simple as just saying, "Katrina, have you picked up your books yet?" instead of just "Have you picked up your books yet?" and it makes the conversation more personal.

Finally, in order to come across as a positive person, keep your conversations positive as well. Try not to spend your time complaining or talking badly about others, as it makes you look negative, and makes people less likely to want to speak to you again, because negativity can be contagious as well.

Following these tips can get you far when making new friends, participating in interviews, and so much more. If someone has a good impression of you, you will be presented with more opportunities down the road, and since that good first impression has been made, you are likely to have more success in your connections with people!

Hopefully my blog has made a good first impression on you, I can't wait to share more with you!

- Katrina