Putting yourself out there during college is hard. Putting yourself out there as an introvert is even harder. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are some steps you can take to start putting yourself out there. Don’t feel discouraged if you don’t see the results right away. Putting yourself out there (like anything else) takes time. So don’t give up!
1. Explore your campus.
Do you know where the library is? Do you know what the best place to eat is? Best place to study? Best place to hang out? It’s important to know where everything is. Find all of these places slowly. There’s no rush. Start by picking a place and venturing out to find it. If you don’t find it right away, don’t get discouraged. If you get lost, don’t be afraid to ask for help, people are more friendly than you think.
2. Go find people.
It’s not always a great idea to spend the whole day by yourself. Challenge yourself and go where all the people are on campus! You don’t even have to interact with anyone if you don’t want to.
3. Learn to be alone.
It can feel lonely to be surrounded by people and not be apart of a friend group. It’s important to like your own company, and know-how to hang out by yourself until you make some friends.
4. Be Friendly!
Smile at people. Say hello to coworkers and classmates. Just be friendly, and be willing to help others, and good things will come your way.
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5. Use an app.
When I say use an app, I’m not talking about Tinder (though you could use it if you wanted to). If you’ve ever wanted a Tinder-like app to make best friends, it exists! Its called Hey Vina! The app is super fun and has personality quizzes, horoscopes, and articles by women, for women (kinda like Her Campus!) Just like Tinder, you either swipe left or right based on their profile. It’s a hit or miss, so be prepared to invest some time in using the app to see any results.
6. Join a club.
Ok, so now that you’ve learned how to get around, and you’re comfortable, its time to get involved! Is there anything you’ve always wanted to do? Here at GCU, there’s probably a club for that (and if not, you could always start your own!). Your time in college will fly by super quick, so it’s important to make the most of your experience.
7. Get an on-campus job.
Another great way to get involved is by getting a student worker position! Since your co-workers will also be your classmates, it should be pretty easy to find something in common with them! Depending on your job, you could also be interacting with other students through customer service. Either way, you’ll get to be apart of a team while making some money in the process.
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8. Don’t say yes to everything.
There are so many hours in the day! You don’t have to go to every event. It’s ok to set aside time for yourself. Only say yes to the things that interest you, don’t be pressured into doing things. It’s always okay to sit inside and enjoy some time by yourself!
9. Be patient and persistent.
It takes time and effort to make good friends in college. Don’t be discouraged if some of your new friendships fizzle out after a couple of weeks. Don’t beat yourself up! Keep trying new things, and exploring. You got this!