All throughout high school, I was always known as the “quiet girl.” My teachers, family, friends, and coworkers would always ask me why I was so quiet or tell me to speak up in conversations. Social anxiety has always been a struggle to manage. When I started my first job in high school, it required me to continuously speak to customers and other team members. I realized that my social anxiety would have to be managed or it would become a barrier from living life to its fullest.
So, over quarantine and this past summer break, I truly worked on myself. I decided that my high school self would no longer exist in college. Let’s just say that she was pretty boring and has been left in the past. And now, a month into college, I am enjoying the new me who is much more confident and outgoing, and who finally has her social anxiety in check.
Schoolwork was always a top priority of mine in high school, which led me to not have much of a social life during those four years. I would wake up every day, go to school, and then go home and study. I also did not have a large friend group and would always be making sure I had an A in every class. Don’t get me wrong, school is important and should always come first. However, in high school, it was to the point where I would miss out on social events just to study and get my homework done. This past month in college has taught me balance. A social life is just as important as school. There is nothing really to look forward to without the existence of social events or interaction.
When I first came to UMass, I immediately reverted back to my shy self. It was overwhelming to see the number of kids who were moving in, and I was afraid it would be difficult to meet people. Nonetheless, when classes got rolling, I saw some familiar faces from Zoom and met some new friends through social media. It slowly became easier to show confidence and make new friends. College is so much more different than high school, and everyone is a lot more open to talking to you.
I slowly began to come to terms with the fact that maybe I was a lot more extroverted and was simply too scared to step out of my comfort zone in high school. Like I said before, I am NOT complaining about this change. My mom would always tell me that she hoped college would help me come out of my shell, and it most certainly has. I am not as afraid to open up to others and try new things that I never would have done in high school.
I really have changed for the better and am glad to have come to college with an open mind.
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