An Introvert’s Guide to Involvement on Campus!
If you’re like me, moving into your college dorm wasn’t hard, but getting out of it was horrifying! All my stuff was inside and all of my friends were at different schools! Well, guess what ladies and gents, it’s time to make some more friends to walk through life with and the best way to find those people is to get involved! It might take a little leap of faith but be kind to yourself and try something new!
Find a club centered around your interests. Do you like PokémonGo? UNT has a Pokémon club! Do you religiously watch every Vlogbrothers video and consider yourself a Nerdfighter? UNT has a club for you too! UNT has clubs for so many things that you might already be interested in, just scroll through Orgsync (http://unt.orgsync.com/search) to find your future best friends that are just like you!
Try something new. I know, I know, you’re an introvert who wants to branch out of their comfort zone but for some reason you just can’t! Calm down my friend, this one’s good! I had always been interested in swimming and thought I’d try it out in college! UNT’s swim club held a meeting and the whole way there I was begging myself not to go through with it! I wasn’t athletic, what was I doing? All of my anxiety melted away when I met another freshman looking to branch out as well! He is now one of my dear friends and I had an amazing time on swim club with him and the rest of the team! I met people who were older than me, different majors than me, and had different interests than me, but we all bonded over the sport we either loved or just wanted to try!
Listen to advice. I found myself drawn to UNT’s Student Government Association the moment I saw their booth at orientation. I filled out the application as soon as I could but found myself with a serious case of cold feet! My amazing orientation leader suggested I apply and encouraged me time and time again to go for it! Lo and Behold, I was called back for an interview and was chosen to spend my freshman year with thirty of the strongest leaders I have ever met! A little advice goes a long way, so go with your initial gut!
Finally, know your limits. We’re introverts, we find our rest in solitude. It’s not that we hate people, but we need time to ourselves to unwind and prepare for the next day or week or year! Being busy and socializing is a wonderful way to get involved, but if you go overboard and stress yourself out you’ll find yourself dreading your sorority meetings or Statistics study groups at the library. Make sure you don’t overbook yourself, leave some evenings for yourself! Now relax friend, you’re going to have an amazing year!
