I’ve been homeschooling since I was fourteen. So, I’m slightly nervous to be in a college setting because my social skills weren’t great before, but they’ve gotten worse. I was wondering if anyone has any tips to help me not be so nervous?
I too was a nervous freshman in August. I hadn't had that many great friends in high school, so I believed that the same would be true in college. Number one tip is to join clubs or activities that interest you. I'm in the Marching Band at Notre Dame, and instantly I had 62 other friends that I could talk to any time. And that was just in my section (go saxes!). Meeting consistently with people who share your interests or goals will automatically create friendships, as long as your willing to put in a little bit of effort.
One way to make the effort a little less stressful for me was to keep asking questions. If you lose interest in one topic, just ask about the next thing that comes to mind. The question can literally be about anything, from food you had in the dining hall to how hard it was to loft your bed. People naturally like to talk about themselves, so asking about them, even if you don't say much, will both build confidence and make acquaintances. It seems really weird at first to automatically be spitting out questions like this, but eventually you'll get into a natural flow of conversation. The other freshmen want to get to know people, and even if it doesn't seem like their interested, keep going. Everyone feels the same nervousness, it's just that some people are better hiding it than or overcoming it than others.
Thanks! The college I’m applying to has a smaller campus so I feel like my anxiety won’t be as bad. I’ve also recently learned they have great clubs I could join.