For as long as I can remember I have been a homebody, I still am. What characterizes a homebody, you ask? According to Merriam-Webster, a homebody is defined as a person who likes to stay at home. I would much prefer to spend my time watching Netflix in my pajamas on any given night versus leaving the house to do other activities. This, in turn, contributed to my increasing laziness and introvert personality.
My unwillingness to get involved as a freshman at the U of M-Twin Cities and as a sophomore at MSU-Mankato has definitely taken away from my overall college experience. I always passed up multiple opportunities to hang/work out with friends because I did not want to walk very far from my residence hall. I never wanted to leave my “Netflix Nook” at my desk. I would literally wear headphones and watch my own shows while my roommate and I had friends over in our dorm. Looking back at it now, I wish I joined something at the U – sorority, club, or student organization. I could have made so many more friends than I did. I should have searched harder for a job (I never ended up getting one) and pushed away my fear of rejection. If I did, I could have been so much happier than I was.
Upon transferring to MSU last year, I had an opportunity to start over. But, I didn’t take advantage of it because I was upset about leaving my friends at the U behind. Here, I left campus immediately after my classes were over and never considered/looked for any organizations to join. I was clueless as how to find volunteer and internship opportunities in Mankato. Going through the motions, the rest of my sophomore year flew by uneventfully. Only two new friends made and zero things to add to the resume.
Upon starting my junior year of college this fall, I had a reality check. Two things occurred to me.
- Oh shit, my resume sucks!!! No one will hire me out of college if I keep this up!
- I want to make new friends! Not having anyone to say hello to is so boring and sad.
What is super weird was I experienced this same feeling my junior year of high school, but instead of worrying about a future job, I worried that I would not stand out when applying to colleges. Academics isn’t everything. It is really all about gaining unique experiences to become a well rounded person through volunteering, joining different organizations, and finding internships. I am proud to say that I am now a member of Her Campus MNSU and Dream Closet. Along with that, I gained a new job and recently interviewed for a spring Marketing Internship (I got offered the position!). This was all able to happen within a period of about two months.
This is a PSA to all my fellow homebodies out there. Get off the couch, turn off that TV, and get involved, no matter how hard it may be! Don’t get me wrong, I still prefer Netflix over anything, but I am so happy I made the decision to step outside of my comfort zone for the first time in a long time. The earlier you start to break those homebody habits, the better. Let me and my story be your motivation to do it.