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27 September 2023
By Nicky Bartlett
An Introvert’s short guide to surviving your first year
Picture this. It’s your first day at varsity. You’re sitting on the edge of your single spring bed in your new hostel room, watching a complete stranger – the same one you will be sharing your most personal space with - arguing with their parents about their weekly allowance, while a topless guy is chasing a screaming giggling girl down the corridor and someone outside is blaring Justin Bieber’s Peaches, a little too loud.
If this scenario sends shivers up your spine and you feel a cold sweat coming on, then keep reading.
Leaving your cosy, secure home to join hordes of fellow Gen Z’s might not sound like much of a party if you’re an introvert. But have no fear, there are ways to get through your first year at university…and maybe even enjoy it!
Whether its Sony, Skullcandy or a Pick ‘n Pay special, headphones are essential for getting through most days, mentally unscathed. Be it in the dining hall or after hours in your dorm, wearing headphones will not only block out the sound of constant ‘howzits’, screeching and wolf whistles, it will also deter those eager beavers from trying to strike up small talk with you. Plus, you’ll look pretty cool in the process.
The one thing we are all governed by at varsity, are our class schedules. The beauty of class schedules is that not everybody has the same one. Which means, when you need to get out of a draining situation or away from an overzealous tutor group, you can excuse yourself and go to your next ‘class’. Nobody needs to know the subject is called ‘Me time and will be taking place in the corner coffee shop or under a weeping willow outside.
If there is one place on campus where its more than acceptable for you to frequent, it’s the library! A place where books don’t talk back and people are forbidden to speak. In addition, most libraries are normally open until late, so when your peers are getting ready for an exhilarating night of dancing, down downs and sweaty hook-ups, you can honestly say, you have your own club to rock out at – introvert jargon for ‘watch Netflix and chill’.
It might seem counter intuitive but bestowing an extrovert with the honoured title of BFF is a perfect strategy to surviving term time. Think of this BFF as your social bouncer, your human energy buffer. People will need to go through your chatty, outgoing BFF first, before reaching you and subjecting you to their social prowess. Take your BFF everywhere you go, and with a bit of luck you may even be deemed as a social person, by association.
As much as you may want to stay near to your comfort zone and build your life around it, you might want to try putting yourself out there, just a little, so that you at least experience your own version of a social life. Dip your toe into the weird world of organised extra mural activities, like the Adam Tas Club for lovers of the Afrikaans language at Stellenbosch University or the Stock Exchange Club if you are a Rhodent in Grahamstown. There are plenty of options that suit all types and interests and the sooner you get involved the easier it will be.
Even though extroverts may seem to be the perfect candidates for university life, AKA Social City, introverts are unsurprisingly predisposed to investing more energy in their studies and the few close relationships with people who understand them. What you want out of your university experience is up to you, so not only could you survive your first year, but if you create your own routine and version of downtime with a select few friends plus your token extroverted BFF, you will be amongst those who think that varsity really was the best time of your life.
YOLO.
Image credit - Ina Hall from Pixabay
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