Tips For An Introverted Student: How To Survive In A Dorm, In An Open Space, And At A Party

Introverts are amazing people. These are scientists, musicians, philosophers, and psychologists who draw energy from within. Introverts are exhausted by long communication, being in noisy places, and lack of personal space. They love silence, tranquility, and the opportunity to be alone with themselves. 

They are reasonable, deep-thinking people with empathy. Usually, introverted students are better at memorizing things, and this helps them to perform better at College. However, introverts need to study and do all the assignments in silence without being bothered. I also prefer to write my paper in a quiet and calm space.

Introverts cannot concentrate on work or study assignments while sitting in an open space or a crowded library. And living in a dorm can deprive you of peace and mentally exhaust you.

We tell you how to create comfort in a world that is designed for extroverts.

How to get used to the student dorm

Room

If possible, pick up a roommate in advance. Find the same quiet introvert. So you will provide yourself with peace and the amount of communication that is necessary. You will understand each other better and avoid numerous conflicts.

If you find yourself in the company of extroverted neighbors, warn them that you do not like guests and noisy companies. Talk to them tactfully, respectfully. You can make compromises, for example:

• once a month you go to spend the night with a girlfriend/friend, and the neighbors at this time can “hang out” in the common room;

• once every 2 weeks they can bring guests, but only until 22:00;

• if someone is invited, then no one touches your personal belongings, including the bed.

• You can lock your drawer with things if you don’t trust your neighbors.

Study

Determine at what time during the day you need silence to study, inform your neighbors about it. If you come across cultured, understanding people, then there will be no problems. Having an exact study schedule will also greatly organize your time.

If neighbors violate the order, make noise at the wrong time, you can initiate eviction in the student council. To do this, you need evidence of violations on the part of neighbors (drinking alcoholic beverages, noise after 22:00 on weekdays, etc.).

What to do at a noisy event

If you are an introvert, you should not always give up parties and crowded events. You also need communication, only in moderate doses. To maintain inner comfort, follow these tips:

Don’t force yourself to stay at the event longer than you want. If you get tired after 2 hours, go home. You should not stay at the party just because you feel the pressure from peers and are scared to be judged.

Warn your friends and acquaintances that you will be glad to see them, but you only have 2-3 hours. Then your departure will not come as a surprise and will not offend anyone.

If the event is important and you can’t leave, take breaks. Go outside alone for 10-15 minutes to put your thoughts in order. You can do it alone, or with a close friend who has similar needs.

If you are tired, you can find something to do: help set the table, take pictures of guests, look at the paintings on the walls.

Join in idle conversations, even though you don’t like them. Find a small company, act as a listener if you don’t want to talk. This way you won’t look like a lonely guest sitting in a corner with a phone in his hands.

How to work in open-space

If you initially treat the open space at work negatively, it can become a living hell. Whatever you do, you will feel bad, uncomfortable, open-space will “suck out” all your energy and love for life.

Set a goal: to create comfort where there is none.

Protect yourself with “walls” from other people. If a colleague is sitting in front of you, raise the monitor higher so that you don’t see each other (or lower the chair). If someone is “breathing in the back” from behind, ask for a high-backed seat.

Make the workplace cozy. Bring a small flower in a pot, buy a large orange mug for tea, write in beautiful notebooks that you have chosen in the store. You can cover the chair with a warm blanket. Work is a second home, and you should feel good in it.

For Christmas, bring glowing lights, decorate your table with them. Treat your colleagues to homemade ginger cookies.

If it’s uncomfortable, and there are other empty seats in the office, ask the manager to transfer you to the space in the corner or the one with fewer people.

Warn your colleagues that you are an introvert. Let them write letters if possible, and call only for urgent and important issues.

Other tips

If you are an introvert— then you are a very sensitive and impressionable person. We give some tips on how to make life easier:

• if it is difficult to maintain eye contact with the interlocutor, look at the bridge of his nose or eyebrows;
• sit at an angle of 90 degrees from the person you are talking to. There you will be able to look to the side during the dialogue, and not in the eyes;
• write letters if you don’t want to call;
• change jobs if the current one involves a lot of communication. You’ll never get used to it.

Don’t try to remake yourself. Introversion is your nature, and it’s beautiful. You have your own joys in life: cozy walks in the autumn park with hot tea in your hands, evening reading under a warm blanket, summer relaxation by a crackling campfire. You can be happy, it’s enough to accept your peculiarity and adapt different spheres of life to it. Having said that, don’t be afraid to experiment, and try new things. Life has so many things to offer, so you will definitely find some new fun activities for you.