Okay so I’m a freshmen going into my second semester of community college. The first semester I manage to get really good grades that I’m proud of but he’s the problem: I have trouble putting myself out there. Just the sheer thought of talking to someone makes me full of anxiety. But i really want to make friends and all that. I just don’t really know how without seeking desperate.
I spent my highschool at an online public school which didn’t really help my social anxiety. I know im rambling and this isn’t the right thread I just want to know any advice on how to put myself out there
In any conversation that you are in, focus on what the other person is talking about. Pay attention to them, and make them feel important.
I would recommend Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. It sounds like a really scammy title, but the main point of the book is literally just showing genuine appreciation to people.
Remember that everyone is the center of their own world. Just like you are the center of your world, and everything revolves around you. Try and figure out what their goal is, and ask them about it. Instead of saying “What’s up?”, say “Anything exciting happen today?”. Allow for the conversation to be centered around them, and you will build friends.
Pleased spend an hour or so scrolling through the pinned posts on this forum, and the first few pages of this forum. There are so many posts like this. Everyone wants to make friends, so you already have something in common with a lot of people.
I have read a lot of posts from worried freshman. One of the simplest pieces of advice came from I can’t remember who. Just a student who probably only posted about three times on this website. But he said “just say something, anything.” He then said that his first friend at college was a kid who asked him where the bathroom was. I think that is great advice. You don’t have to think of anything witty or clever. Just say hi, or ask where a class is. You will be fine if you start talking.