<human>: I've always been bad at making the right first impression and I need some pointers to help make friends (and possibly a girlfriend somewhere along the line).

Once I've got talking to them for a while - if they can bare me for long enough - people seem to come round and like me, but it's those first few minutes where I lose a lot of friends. Because I'm quite quirky - intelligent, sometimes arrogant, a bit geeky - people get put off. And I never seem to have the right conversation starters either.

Basically - I'm moving school for the final 2 years and I really want a new, fresh start. I've been the nerd for the last 5 years, bullied, harassed and generally hating most of the people in my school and I want this to be different.

So what are your tips for making good first impressions? 

Also, just as help: the open day is in the format of: 2 lessons, lunch, speech, 2 lessons, home.

All the lessons are ones I will be taking when I go there so the people in them may well be in my classes for real - hence why I need some tips. 

Also: I'm from the UK if that changes any advice based on American niceties.

Provide a brief overview of the text.
<bot>: I'm moving school, got an open day in a few weeks and really want to make a good first impression on the other people there but I need tips.