Ever since COVID-19, it seems that we as a society have lost our ability to socialize. From interacting with each other with words and full sentences to communicating through direct messages and TikTok and Instagram comments, we have lost the ability to hold conversations with others and our ability to grow our social skills. According to a nationwide Education Week study of educators, 39% of participants stated that their current students’ emotional and social development is “much less advanced” than that of their students before the pandemic. “Now what does that have to do with us”? You may ask. Absolutely everything.
They say our college years are the most important and memorable years of our lives. That saying is definitely true in the education aspect, considering we’re willing to put ourselves at risk of everlasting debt to pursue a higher education and to secure jobs that will not only support us in the future but our loved ones as well. All of that is important to keep in mind, but college is also the time to branch out socially.
With the access of nearly 47,000 students that attend the same school as you, branching out and meeting new people should also be a key factor in your college experience. I mean, where else would you get to be around that many people on a daily basis? Regaining our social skills is one of the things we as college students need to do to make up for our lost time somewhere in the Covid realm. Socializing with others can help us with our self-confidence and networking and can even decrease depression and anxiety, so it is just as important as anything else.
You’re probably wondering what exactly you need to do to get back those skills and use them to the best of your ability, and my answer to your curiosity is that practice makes perfect! Practice stepping out of your comfort zone by complimenting your peers, asking questions when you don’t understand something, and listening to others more than you speak. You will never know how good a conversationalist you can be unless you talk!
So get out there and start practicing; whether it’s tomorrow in your 8 AM class or talking to your stuffed animals at night, it will never hurt to practice speaking.