<p>I've been really interested in St. John's for a while now. I'm a huge reader, so the idea of a Great Books Program really appeals to me -- but, at the same time, I've had difficulty speaking up in classroom discussions in the past due to shyness. Obviously, I would like to overcome this problem, but was wondering if anyone could tell me if there are ever any incoming students who are not incredibly comfortable with discussions but end up succeeding at St. John's.
Thanks so much for your time!</p>
<p>There are some students who are initially shy, but find their comfort zone sometime around freshman year. There are others who rarely talk from beginning to end. It is a “talking school”, and if you’re not comfortable discussing in class, it becomes frustration for both you and your classmates, because discussion is essentially what you do all the time for all your classes. Anybody with the initiative to emerge from their shell will certainly have the resources to do so however. Your tutors and classmates will typically be helpful when you need the help, but there will not be any hand-holding from them.</p>