Adjusting to the overly social atmosphere of college can be a struggle for any first year student. From roommate relationships to class participation grades, it seems like college life is made for the natural extroverts of the world. This means that introverts can be misjudged as unsocial, shy, or standoffish, especially in college. But navigating college life as an extreme extrovert has its own set of challenges. We may be the loud majority, but I’m here to tell you that extroverts have problems too. As a struggling college extrovert, here are some of mine:
1. My roommate doesn’t share my taste in movies
Let’s face it: the best part of watching movies is other people’s reactions to them. You say you don’t like romantic comedies? If we can’t laugh and cry while watching When Harry Met Sally together, I’m questioning our friendship.
(you know you love this scene)
2. So many people to talk to… all. the. time.
It’s a Thursday night and I’m struggling to write a paper due in four hours. I start to think out loud. Then I talk to other people and eventually wander into the lounge where everyone else on the floor is watching the Grammys. Lots of people? Check. Gossipy chit chat? Check. Paper distraction? You betcha.
Also, the silent floor of the library is the only place I can actually get any homework done… but it makes me feel like this:
3. Going to dinner alone can be traumatizing.
While all my friends are out interning, studying, or doing other productive things, I often face dinnertime solo, which can be painful. After all, spending time alone often leaves extroverts feeling lonely. On a few occasions I’ve considered stopping to talk to the university nutritionist. But trust me: no matter how lonely you are, nobody actually wants to know how many calories they’re consuming in TDR. No one.
4. People hate me in the morning because I wake up like this:
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5. The word “networking” sends shivers down my spine.
Just like many introverts, I have trouble with professional networking. It’s not because talking to people is hard; I love to make small talk. But I usually end up asking about a professor’s kids and three dogs within the first three minutes of conversation. By the time I leave to grab another cookie from the refreshments table, I forget that I was supposed to fork over a business card.
Of course there can be upsides to extroversion, too. In college, you will meet tons of new people and extroverts have no problem attending twenty club meetings a week just for the free food. You should embrace it and appreciate the fact that there is always someone to talk to in college (even if it’s the university nutritionist.) Last but not least, you should know when to tone it down and give your roommate a break every once in a while. It takes some self-control, but some people enjoy the silence.
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