Are you a first year student?
Recently moved to a new city or started at a different university?
We know it may feel like there’s an immediate expectation to get settled, meet people, and build routine.
Let’s set the record straight.
There isn’t an ‘Introvert Handbook’ or a four-step guide to settling into your first term as a naturally shy person. Nor should there be. Becoming a new student is a huge life transition that doesn’t sink in overnight. It takes time, and that’s perfectly okay.
Consider yourself an introverted student?
If so, let us remind you to be easy on yourself, and take strides at your own pace.
Here’s our advice for making friends as an introverted student.
Work towards balance
For many introverted students, stepping into a new lifestyle starts with slow momentum. Please be patient with yourself during this transitional time. We promise things will start to feel familiar soon.
The first few weeks living in a new country, university or student accommodation can feel like a blur. New faces. Fresh spaces. Different weather. Maybe even weird food (c’mon, you’ve got to try beans on toast at least once).
While we understand things feel up in the air, it’s important to work towards finding a balance.
Quiet time is crucial for introverts. But giving yourself too much solitude may cause you to feel disconnected from your university experience, and the people around you. In turn, this will make finding friends more difficult.
While it’s good to remain intuitive, it’s important to test the limits of what you think your “comfort zone” is.
Start small.
Why not join your building group chat as a way of recognising your neighbours? Instead of studying alone in your room, maybe spend half of those hours in the library? Perhaps you can offer to lend someone a pen in your next lecture or seminar?
Sowing little seeds for interaction is a much way less daunting way of making friends.
Pick your place
Found a particular study spot, coffee shop or reading nook you love?
Introverts are usually creatures of habit. Making a point of sitting in the same spot helps you become a familiar face to the people around you. It’s a silent way of putting yourself out there, and showing that you’re approachable.
Chances are, there’s a lot of other introverted students around you doing the same thing.
Great conversations start when familiarity is built. Even flashing someone a smile is a subtle yet meaningful way of showing that you’re open to connection. Sometimes, it only takes one small chip to crack the whole shell. And then it’s over to you guys.
Stay in talks with yourself
Ask anyone if they’d enjoy being thrown into the middle of the ocean or abandoned in space. I think we all know what their answer would be.
It’s only human nature to fear the unknown, and the international student experience is famously full of unfamiliars. Throw a healthy dose of introvertedness on top of that, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for overwhelm.
In anxious moments, try to control your thinking. We know it may be easier said than done. But perspective is one of the most powerful tools we have. Practicing how to harness it and redirect it as an incredible skill that will take you through university, and beyond.
How?
Don’t focus on the negative. Catch yourself when you’re talking yourself into a state of worry. Instead, look at your university experience as an exciting growth opportunity. You’ve worked so hard to get here. You can do difficult things. And you’re so much stronger than you think.
The more you affirm yourself with these thoughts, the truer they will feel. Soon enough, they’ll become fact.
And who knows, maybe you’re actually less of an introvert than you originally thought?
Remember the reality
Being a fresh-faced university student may feel like the most original experience ever.
As an introvert, you’ve probably convinced yourself that no one else feels nervous. Everyone knew where the lecture hall was. They navigated the bus system seamlessly. Found the local supermarket straight away. All of them have their lives together.
We’re going to hold your hand while we say this: none of that is true.
Fact is, hundreds of thousands of students from across the globe are going through the same thing as you right now. They’re simply just trying to figure it out. As an introvert, it’s easy to forget that and feel like you’re totally alone.
If you start to experience moments of overwhelm, please remind yourself that you’re not the only one. Everyone is in the same boat. And the majority of those people sitting on the windy deck want to make friends, just like you.
Join small societies
We all have our career ambitions. But what makes you, you, outside of that?
Is it your soft spot for sport? Your passion for poetry? Your hankering for hiking on the weekend?
University is an incredible opportunity to not only reconnect with your hobbies, but discover new ones. No matter how niche your interests may be, you’re sure to find the community of students who love the same thing.
Joining a society at your university will push you closer to the people you’re more than likely to get along with. Straight away, you’ll have something in-common to talk about, and a strong foundation for friendship.
Choose the right accommodation
A lot of student accommodation has the reputation for being cramped, restricted and, if we’re being totally honest, soul-sucking. A lot of PBSA is built for utility, not community.
Living in that type of environment as an introvert only compounds it. You could end up fully cutting yourself off from others.
Not Vita Student. Our buildings are a far cry from confinement.
Our common areas, warmly known as our Hub spaces, are designed for even the shyest of students to connect in a way that feels natural, not forced. They’re open, comfortable and inviting.
Whether you’re relaxing in a lounge, setting up for a study session in a workspace, or chilling in your favourite outdoor spot, there’s always opportunity to meet others.
Our Hub spaces create a nice social buzz, without feeling intimidating. It’s the perfect place for even the most introverted students to find common ground, and bond over shared experiences.
Plus, our curated events programme makes breaking the ice even easier.
From social mixers and craft workshops, to cooking classes, fitness sessions, and more, you don’t have to be a social butterfly to enjoy one of our activities.
What makes our events truly special is our residents who come along. Even our most casual, low-key events open the door for you to meet people from all across the world, and build a strong global network.
At Vita Student, we’ve designed a student living experience that brings out the best in everyone. With fully furnished studio apartments, five-star spaces, weekday breakfast, 24/7 gym, and more, we’re an easy place to call home.
Be part of it.
