For as long as I can remember, I have identified as being an introvert. The dictionary defines an introvert as “a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings (opposed to extrovert ),” which I can confirm as being completely accurate. I really enjoy time to myself, especially because being around people all day drains my energy levels. I tend to find comfort in reading books or watching movies by myself rather than being out at a party or even just hanging around with friends. In high school, my friends always understood this and embraced me for it, but as high school came to an end, I started thinking about my future social life in college. I was nervous because none of my friends who understood my personality would be going with me. I knew that I was going to have to force myself to be social in order to make new friends, and I had heard that it was common in college to go out to parties with friends on the weekends. I was scared of being a friendless and alone, but as soon as I got to college I realized that I would be able to be myself and still have fun. I won’t lie, being an introvert in college isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but it’s not the hardest either. So for all those introverts struggling out there, here are six tips that I have come up with to help you successfully survive college as an introvert.
1. Smile at people
It’s not in my nature to go up to someone and just start talking to them, so I’ve found that smiling at someone in a class or on your floor let’s them know that you’re friendly. A lot of times it even encourages them to start talking to you!
2. Set a goal for the amount of times you’ll hang out or go out a month
You don’t have to stick to this goal or get mad at yourself if you don’t go out, but it goods to think about how much time you want to devote to hanging out or going out with friends. This will keep you from being forgotten or left behind when you friends make plans because if you never spend time with them, they’ll eventually stop asking you to.
3. Invite friends to stay in with you
Sometimes the idea of going out gives me a headache, so asking friends to stay in for a move night or just to chat is a great alternative. You’ll still be spending time with friends, but you won’t be pushing yourself too far out of your comfort zone.
4. Join a club, sport, organization or sorority/fraternity
The best thing I have done in college so far was join a sorority. I have met so many amazing women and been exposed to many fun opportunities to be social without it being overwhelming. I also joined Dance Marathon, Her Campus and S.T.A.T., all of which help me get more involved on campus and meet new people. Joining an organization on campus helps you get out for meetings or events and can even help strengthen existing friendships.
5. Don’t depend on only one friend
If you find another friend who likes to stay in, that’s great! Rejoice! But, don’t always depend on them to stay in with you when everyone else goes out. They might want to go out sometimes, with or without you, and it’s important to be okay with that.
6. Make sure to cut out some alone time for yourself
The best thing an introvert can do is have alone time to recharge. Whenever you have some free time with your busy schedule, try to relax and take time to be with yourself. Especially in college, it can be hard to stay in touch with yourself or do things that make you less stressed, so having that little bit of alone time every day or every week can really make a difference. And let’s be real, there is nothing better than time to yourself!