Popularity.

The idea of "popularity" probably was seeded into our minds as we entered middle school. There was the "group" that everyone wanted to be in. In my case, the group of girls that all came from the same elementary and all the ones all the boys liked. As we morphed and changed into high school students, so did the definition of "popularity". Personally, I believe that the term means something different for everyone and thankfully becomes less and less prevalent in our day-to-day lives as we age.
In order for the term "popular" to have a meaning, a person, a group, a goal in mind has to be labeled as something you want to be or fit into. Some may think that the more friends you have makes you popular. Others may think its the specific group of friends you have. Yet, others still may think that it is the number of parties you get invited to. It is different for everyone. Whatever the definition of it is for you, try to not give it much thought. As an upperclassmen, something that I can tell freshmen to look forward to is that with the more experiences you have in high school, the less and less you will care about what others have to say about you. And the few friends you may have, are most likely some of the best people you will ever meet and are way better than a huge group of them.
When you enter as a freshmen, do not change yourself to fit into the groups you want to be in, make your own group. Allow the natural forces to bring good people towards you, and stick with them. "Popularity" is something we all aim for at some point in our lives, but the sooner you realize that it is irrelevant in your high school career the better off you will be.
JSL