Just when we thought the most awkward years of our lives were finally behind us, we came to college.
1. Holding a door open for someone
You're walking into the union, and there's someone walking behind you. They're not directly behind you but close enough to wonder if you should hold the door open for them. You want to be nice and hold the door open for them, but you also don't want to hold it and have them feel bad and have to awkwardly jog to the entrance to relieve you from holding the door for them. What's the rule here? Do you just let it close? Do you hold it open and smile creepily and wait for them to walk through the door? No one really knows.
2. Waving at someone who wasn't waving at you
You're walking down the sidewalk and see someone waving in your direction. Naturally, you wave back, even though you have no idea who they are. They're probably waving at you, right? Then, they start talking and someone behind you answers. Do you keep waving? Laugh it off? Run into the street? Your guess is as good as mine.
3. Saying goodbye to someone who is walking the same way as you
You're walking out of class talking to someone and when you leave the room, your first instinct is to say goodbye. "See you in class on Thursday!" You turn away, and then, they start walking the same way, and you're both headed the same direction. Do you continue the conversation? Pretend like you're actually walking the opposite direction? Find the nearest bathroom? Who really knows?
4. Seeing someone you've met once
You're walking down the street again and instead of thinking someone is waving at you, you see someone you met one time a year and a half ago. You remember his name, but does he remember yours? Does he even recognize you? You're getting closer and you're trying to make eye contact to try to read him. Does he remember you? Now it looks like you're staring. Do you look away or acknowledge him despite the fact that he might not know you? No right answer here.
5. Seeing someone you've met several times
You're walking down Atwood and see someone you know walking toward you. You're way too far apart to say hi now, but you've both seen each other. In the meantime before being at an appropriate greeting distance, what do you do? Look at your phone? Pretend to text? Stare at the ground? We'll never know.
6. Scrolling through someone's Instagram and accidentally liking an old picture
We've all been there: looking at someone's Instagram posts from 105 weeks ago. Just as you're swiping between their senior year prom posts and their little sibling's first communion pictures, you see the white heart block their face on their high school basketball senior night picture. You just liked their picture from 105 weeks ago. Not only do they know you voluntarily went on their profile but also that you scrolled through their entire social media feed. What's next? Do you unfollow? Explain the next time you see them? Lean into the fall and like all their old pictures? The deed has been done, and there's no clear ending in sight.
