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The Awkward Diaries

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Conn Coll chapter.

If you have not read the Smart, Pretty, & Awkward blog, we recommend you take a look. If you are anything like me, you might just read the section, instructing readers on how to be less awkward. Depressing, I know.  But, sometimes it’s exactly what a girl like me needs. 
Here are my confessions (pt. 1): I often find myself in extremely uncomfortable situations. At the time, I wish I had the Smart, Pretty & Awkward blogger there to tell me exactly what to do. But, unfortunately, she never is. So, I end up doing or saying something that I later regret.

Take this example…

These are my confessions (pt. 2): I am also an avid shower singer. Call me crazy, but there is something about the acoustics that make me feel like I’m Whitney Houston. Don’t worry, I try to refrain myself at school (#socialsuicide). But, this does not stop me from belting out ballads in the comfort of my own home.  Needless to say, I was in the shower, singing the most random selection of songs…literally, anything that popped into my head, I sang it and not quietly might I add.  I recall belting everything from Trey Songz to Nat King Cole. Anyways, as I left the bathroom, I heard chatter coming from my left. I slowly turned my head, afraid to see what I’d find. Oh god, it was my older brother and all of his friends watching TV, just an earshot from the bathroom. They looked at me. I looked at them. Where was Smart, Pretty, Awkward blogger when I needed her?

With this said, we have brainstormed a few tips to help my fellow turtles (think about it) when you find yourselves in those awkward situations.

1.) You are walking in the library and you think you have spotted your friend. You go over and wave excitedly. She looks at you confused…turns out, it’s not your friend.
Do: Say “Oh sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

2.) Walking around Blaustein, you trip and fall in front of a cluster people and you have no friends around to laugh it off. Don’t worry it happens to the best of us.  
Do: First step, pick yourself up.  Then, make a joke and say, “you should see me in heels.”

3.) Your professor calls on you in class. Oops, Glee was on last night and you didn’t do the reading.
Do:  Fake it ‘til you make it. Hey, if you’re wrong, you’re wrong. But, at least you didn’t kill the class with an awkward silence.

4.) It’s fall weekend, and you are meeting your friend’s parents. Not sure which greeting to go for, you decide to go in for a hug. It’s the friendly thing to do, right?  Unfortunately, your friend’s Dad goes in for a handshake…ouch.
Do: Laugh, offer a solid handshake, and say, “It’s so wonderful to meet you.”

5.) You’re phone goes off in class. You begin to regret your “If I Were a Boy” ringtone choice.
Do: Turn it off as quickly as possible and mouth “I’m sorry” to your professor. For future reference, do as you do in the movie theatres and please silence your cell phone.

6.) At lunch, you’re really into a conversation you’re having with your friends.  One of your friends stops you mid-story to tell you that you have a GIANT piece of spinach stuck in between your two front teeth. Embarrassing.
Do: Without missing a beat, whip out your cell phone to use as a mirror.  Extract the spinach, crack a smile and say, “Better?” Then, continue with your story.  

7.) You are walking in Cro and you notice someone coming in your direction. Suddenly, you find yourself in that “which way are you going to go dance” with a random. You go left, he goes left. You go right, he goes right.
Do: Laugh and say, “Okay on three, I go right. You go left.”

8.) You are running late for class and your professor has already started lecture.
Do: Slip in without drawing attention to yourself. Choose the closest open seat… preferably in the back.

9.) In the hot food line in Harris, you begin talking to your friend, who you think is behind you. When you turn around, wondering why your friend is not responding, you realize it is not your friend.
Do: Make light of the situation. Laugh and say, “That’s weird, you’re not [insert name of friend].”

10.) On Thursday night, you are at the bar and you realize that all your ladies left for the bathroom, leaving you alone.
Do: Grab your drink, make the most out of the situation, and socialize. 

photo source: http://blog.wearyourstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Awkward-Turtle-650×433.jpg

Elyse Lebel is a senior at Connecticut College majoring in Psychology and Sociology. Studying abroad her spring semester in Copenhagen, Denmark, she loves to travel and learn about different cultures. As co-founder of the Her Campus branch at her school, Elyse has a strong passion and interest in writing, communications, and fashion. This summer, Elyse interned at Teen Voices, a non-profit magazine based in Boston, and is excited to continue to gain experience in online publication with the HC team!