As an individual who is shy, going outside of my comfort zone is very hard for me. But every time I do it, it leads to meeting new people and experiencing things that I never would have if I just stayed inside my comfort zone.
The first time I vividly remember going outside of my comfort zone big time was when I was in seventh grade. When I was very little I played soccer but once it switched to travel I stopped because I was kinda scared of the newness and switching teams. But in seventh grade, I decided to start playing soccer again and join my middle school girls soccer team.
This was a really big thing for me because I hadn’t played in so long and didn’t really know anyone on the team. But, I met and became friends with so many people I would not have if I didn’t play. I actually met my best friend that year because of soccer, and we are still close to this day.
Soccer is something that has played a big part in shaping who I am today and was something that I thought about joining again for a while before I did. So if you are thinking about trying something or re-starting something you did in the past, just do it because you don’t know who you could meet or what you could experience if you don’t try.
Another school activity that I joined in my junior year of high school was marching band. I had been playing the alto saxophone since I was in sixth grade and I was always interested in marching band, but it was at the same time as soccer, so I never thought I could do both.
I ended up talking to my soccer coach and the marching band director and we came up with a schedule that allowed me to participate in both. Going into marching band I didn’t really know anyone but I met so many new people and experienced things that I never would have if I didn’t join the marching band.
So don’t be afraid to do things that overlap. You can find a way to make it work and you can experience new things and meet new people.
One of the biggest things that I have done in my life so far is going to college at Kent. For one, I am not from Ohio so I was living on my own for the first time and my parents were about two hours away. Also, I wasn’t close with anyone from my school who also came here when I did.
So when I moved in, I had a random roommate, no in-person classes and knew no one. I’d say that is the most out of my comfort zone I have ever been. But it turned out to be one of the best years of my life. The random roommate and I now have an apartment together and get along so well. I have met the most amazing friends and boyfriend here and I don’t know what I did without knowing them.
It was a very last-minute decision for me to come to Kent, for the longest time I didn’t know what I wanted to go to college for or where. Once I did figure out what I wanted to study, it didn’t leave too much time to decide where to go. All I knew was that Kent’s campus was beautiful and it was a lot cheaper than any of the in-state colleges that I had applied to. Now I can’t imagine going to school anywhere else.
If I can give you one final tip about going out of your comfort zone, it is to do what makes you happy and don’t care about what others think. Because if you do that you may lose the things that make you truly happy.