It's easy to leave people with a good impression of you when you feel like you're at your best. Think of the things you most like about yourself and let those be the traits you show to people. Put a little effort into your appearance, grooming and clothing choices so that you can show up to school looking as good as you feel. Confidence is often the sole difference between standing out and fading into the background. Practice confident thinking. Focus on the good parts of your appearance and personality, not what you lack. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and laugh off failures. Nobody's perfect, and as long as you remember this and have a good attitude, you'll never have a reason to fear judgment or criticism. Wake up early enough to start the day with a solid breakfast, wear clothes you like that you can be comfortable in and get a little exercise periodically to keep yourself looking and feeling good. These are all habits of self-assured people. If you have a particular skill, passion or set of interests, make it known. People like people who are good at things. Having a special ability is a great way to distinguish yourself not just from other freshman but among students of all grade levels. Sharing these skills and interests can also introduce you to new friends who like the same things you do. Look for productive outlets to exercise your passions, like trying out for a sports team, band or social club. Most schools offer these types of extracurricular activities, and they can be a great way to connect with talented, like-minded classmates. Being cool is not defined by your grade or the kind of people you hang out with. Someone who is truly cool knows how to talk to everybody, is confident being themselves and likes to have a good time with others. Put your best side forward and be the kind of person that people like to be around. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that they have to put others down in order to be cool. This couldn't be further from the truth. Cool people are always approachable, friendly and take an interest in others. To be cool, you have to be able to stay composed under pressure. Don't let little things get to you, and, when in doubt, just smile. You'll never be able to impress everyone, so why try? Instead, concentrate on doing well in school and enjoying the time you spend with the old friends you've kept and the new ones you make. Ignore the older students and anyone else who tries to belittle you for being newthey obviously have nothing better to do. High school should be an exciting time of learning about yourself and growing as a person. Spending too much time fretting over what other people think about you will just hold you back.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Project confidence. Put your talents on display. Be cool. Don't worry too much.

Procuring the pork belly can be the hardest part of the entire homemade-bacon process since most grocery stores don't carry it. Try a local butcher or a restaurant supplier in your area to find the pork belly. Local butchers tend to have better quality pork bellies available than a restaurant supplier. Also, a restaurant supplier may only sell in bulk quantities much larger than what you need. Once you get the pork belly home from the butcher, rinse it thoroughly to remove any blood or anything else on the meant. Pat the pork belly dry and then transfer it to a resealable two-gallon plastic bag. After you've cleaned and patted the pork belly dry, the surface will feel slightly tacky. You may also want to trim any thin edges off the pork belly if it has any. You want to place roughly a long rectangular piece into the plastic bag. To make the spice rub, mix the kosher salt, pink salt, brown sugar, honey, red pepper flakes, paprika, and cumin in a bowl. Mix until everything is spread evenly throughout the honey. This recipe is just one of a near endless variety you can use to create unique flavor profiles for your bacon. Other spice rub examples include: 2.5-3 pounds skinless pork belly, 1/4 cup kosher salt, 2 teaspoons pink curing salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Bourbon, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and hickory smoke during the smoking process (whether actual hickory wood in your smoker or hickory liquid smoke roasted in your oven). 2 1/2 pounds skin-on pork belly, 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, a tablespoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon fennel seed, 1 teaspoon caraway seed, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped. 1 pound of pork belly, 1 1/2 teaspoons Morton's kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon pink curing salt, 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon powdered ginger, 1 teaspoon powdered garlic, 1 teaspoon Sriracha or other hot sauce, 1/4 teaspoon 5 spice powder, and 2 tablespoons water. You'll have enough of the spice rub to evenly coat the until piece of pork belly. Roll the mix around with the pork belly in the plastic bag until everything is coated. Seal the plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator. You'll flip the bag once a day to keep the even coating, and the process will take approximately 7-10 days. The duration ultimately depends on the thickness of the pork belly. A thin belly (around 1.5 inches thick) will take seven days while a thicker belly (2-3 inches) will take the entire ten days. You can test how cured the pork belly is by touching it when you think it's close to ready. The cured meat will be firm to the touch all over like a cooked steak. If it still feels spongy and soft, then it needs more time. Once the meat has cured, you can remove it from the bag and rinse it thoroughly. Discard any solids from the rub on the meat as well. Pat the meat dry once you have rinsed it well. After thoroughly rinsing the meat, you will need to refrigerate it again. Refrigerate it uncovered for a full forty-eight hours.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
Purchase the pork belly. Rinse the pork belly thoroughly. Make the spice rub. Coat the pork belly. Refrigerate the pork for 7-10 days. Rinse thoroughly. Refrigerate for forty-eight hours.