Whether by conscious choice or a series of frustrating social hiccups, a lot of college introverts are left with few to no friends, especially in the loud, busy environment of UT — and I am one of them. While I have a few people that I sometimes call on to hang out with me, I mostly spend my mornings, afternoons, evenings, nights, meals, walks, drives and adventures alone.

I'm content with that, and I'm not just saying that as a self-confidence booster — which is probably shocking to the mostly extroverted population reading this article. I thoroughly enjoy being alone, and I know a lot of other people do too. So here's some advice from a seasoned UT introvert on how to get the most out of your college experience without having to deal with all the small talk.

Do: Check out what Austin has to offer.

We have some of the best museums, music venues, restaurants and public transportation (ok, that last one's a joke) in the nation. Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be accompanied by anyone to enjoy them.

Don't: Go to school-sponsored social events.

They're forced and awkward, even for extroverts. The people who actually manage to make friends at those are seasoned pros at small talk, and I don't know about you, but I don't even want to meet them.

Do: Try out student orgs based on your interests.

That way you can skip the small talk and get right to discussing Star Wars or canoeing (those are just two examples — UT definitely has an org for at least one thing you like). If you hate that, there's always the Introverts' Social Club, a really chill group that plays card/video games every couple weeks.

Don't: Participate in Greek life.

I'm probably biased due to my personality and disposition, but an organization centered around being social and making a lot of noise sounds like the worst possible option for a person like me. But if you're interested, go for it!

Do: Explore new interests.

College is about finding new forms of expression and stepping out of your comfort zone. This can mean anything from hopping on a bus to an unknown location to joining a Dungeons & Dragons group to maybe trying to work out. At this stage in life, the world is yours, so own it.

Don't: Spend all your time sitting in your dorm.

There's a whole world to see! For a lot of my freshman year, I spent my free time lying in my dorm bed watching How I Met Your Mother over and over and over again. Don't be a freshman year me.

Do: Whatever you enjoy.

This probably seems to contradict my last point, but it doesn't really. I know that while I sometimes say I wish I could stay home 24/7, I don't actually mean it (most of the time). I, personally, love sitting outside reading Vonnegut at Spider House, but I do it a lot of the time out of laziness or anxiety. You probably have an equivalent, but if you really fight the urge to stay home, you won't regret it.