So, you’re an introvert and you’re looking for the right college or university for you. It’s scary and there are a ton of details that overwhelm you.
We’ve broken down the biggest college tips for introverts. This guide can help you figure out what will work for you as an introvert while also working for you as a person.
No matter where you end up, whether it’s Bryn Mawr College in the Northeast, St. Olaf College or Carleton College in the Midwest or some other school in a completely different part of the country, you’ll find the perfect school for you.
This post is all about college tips for introverts.
COLLEGE TIPS FOR INTROVERTS:
1. Take a moment to think about your ideal college experience
As you get into the nitty-gritty of choosing a school for yourself, you’ll get overwhelmed by all of the factors that go into it. Whether you prioritize academics, social activities, or changing up your scenery, you can find the right school for you.
The important thing is that you take time now to reflect on what you think of when you think of higher education. We’ll talk through all of the major tips to help you choose a great place for the next four years.
But, before that, take a break from this blog and write down a couple details about what you see when you think of college life. This will help you remember what matters to you when all of the details start getting scary and overwhelming.
2. Challenge yourself with a diverse student body
The idea of challenging yourself with new people away from the close friends you’re used to probably gives you a little social anxiety.
This is normal, but it doesn’t mean you should avoid finding schools with a lot of people from different backgrounds, races, and socioeconomic classes.
There are plenty of resources that can provide you with specific details about schools that interest you. Start here to get a better idea of which schools will expose you to different kinds of people and new experiences.
3. Identify schools with your ideal career paths
Working on your undergraduate degree will certainly help you individuate and become an adult, which means doing adequate research in those areas. However, you also want to watch out for schools with the best college majors for you.
This goes back to that reflection you did in the beginning or any reflection you’ve done throughout high school that reminds you what career you want to begin. If you’re unsure, choose a school with the majors that seem to be the best fit for you.
At this point, you choose schools that have majors that interest you even if you end up not choosing them when you attend.
Whether you like to look at financial reports all day or you’re interested in becoming one of those technical writers, you’ll find a school that offers the major you want.
4. Look for lots of extracurricular activities
It’ll be easy to avoid most social interaction when you’re spending a lot of studying or enjoying quiet time. This is important to stay recharged as an introvert who may or may not want to meet new people.
The good news is that extracurricular activities are the best way to meet people without having room for lots of awkward silence while doing an activity that interests you.
They can be costly, so keep that in mind as you consider ways to meet people and get more comfortable with your fellow college students.
5. Ask yourself where you’ll find like-minded people
Whether you look for schools with a large student body or you prefer a small liberal arts college like Grinnell College and Reed College, you’ll want to find a place that feels like home to you.
You don’t have to live on campus to feel at home because it’s all about people. When you find the right fit, you’ll take your friends everywhere with you because you want to talk to them and hang out with them.
Plus, what’s better than skipping the small talk and enjoying quality time with cool people? For larger schools, you’re much more likely to find small groups of like-minded people.
For small schools, you’ll need to make friends with the people who value the same things that you do, whether that’s grades, social events, or athletics.
6. Figure out which foreign languages the school offers
Take this opportunity to learn a new language, even if you already learned one during high school. Higher education courses almost always teach foreign languages more rigorously and effectively than high school courses.
Plus, you’ll probably have to take language courses to graduate, so look into which languages the schools offer and think about which ones you’re most likely to use and enjoy.
7. Find out the culture around sports games
Sports are a great way to hang out with lots of people and become part of the school without trying. You may not build close relationships by being surrounded by a large crowd, but you get to experience school spirit in a safe, supportive environment.
Plus, this is a great friend-date option for you to invite some fun people to hang out with you without having to talk for a lot of time. You may just groan and scream the entire time, which is fun on its own.
8. Look into a co-op program
If you’re feeling stressed about getting a job once you graduate, first of all, please don’t. You have time and you’ll figure it out when that time comes.
Second of all, you can always look into a co-op program, which means that you get work experience while you study for your bachelor’s degree. They are different than internships in that they typically are full-time positions.
They also last for at least a couple of months and work with your program, even if you end up graduating after five years rather than four. Opportunities like this can help you develop technical skills while learning in a classroom.
9. Identify student organizations that interest you
Student organizations always look great on a resume and they provide great connections that you can use later in life to get the best jobs and maintain meaningful friendships. Plus, they give you an meet people with similar interests or hobbies.
If you’re struggling to narrow down your list of schools, research the student organizations they have on campus. This may not be the deciding factor, but it can help you develop a better picture of what kind of college environment you’ll get by attending that school.
Whether you want to meet fellow graphic designers or you’re into computer science, student organizations are the place to look.
10. Go on real-life or virtual tours of residence halls
Tour the residence halls for your school. This is a good to help you decide whether you see yourself as one of their undergraduate students. You can go further and tour their dining hall and lecture halls.
If you’re interested, you could even audit one of their small seminars to get a feel for what kind of education you’d be getting. By listening to the content of lectures and what students discuss while they’re in class, you can get start to understand if the school fits you.
11. Consider enrolling in online classes
Social anxiety can dampen the college experience. As much as you might want to attend one of the best colleges to get that ideal political science or psychology degree, even the smaller schools can stress shy people out. It’s okay and it’s understandable if you’re one of them.
Maybe small class sizes don’t change how distracted you’ll be during class when you want to learn, but you’re also worrying about what people think. You’ll be able to find great schools like the University of Chicago that offer competitive online courses.
Remember that, no matter where you end up, you still want to find different ways of challenging yourself to live the life you want.
You will find a good option that offers online classes for your ideal college degree. However, alongside your online education, work on meeting people and engaging in meaningful relationships that you could avoid if you wanted to.
12. Ask yourself if you’re ready to move far from your parents
Decide how far you want to move away from your parents. Whether you want to be outside of the United States or in the same small town you grew up in, what you’re feeling is normal. No student goes about college the same way.
Find the best colleges that meet your requirements, big city or small city. Keep in mind that the farther you live from your parents, the more friends you’ll have to make to feel comfortable in your new environment.
This might mean going to school events and revisiting some of the tips we’ve talked about on how best to meet people with the least anxiety possible.
13. Find schools with competitive degree programs
College will likely be the most stressful, formative, fun years of your life. We can’t deny that college is ultimately about the best jobs and the best majors, even if that’s not what draws you in.
The job you get at the end of school or the career that you begin is what makes all of the late-night study sessions and all-nighters worth it.
This is why you want to make sure that you’re looking into the reputation of your school, how difficult the courses are, and what kind of college careers come out of it.
As you start applying to schools, take a look at the acceptance rate just so you can prepare yourself for whatever happens, especially with schools like Swarthmore College at a whopping eight percent.
Admissions can be a scary experience that lacks transparency, which means the smartest students are overlooked for silly reasons. That said, remind yourself that, wherever you go, your school is an excellent choice because it’s your choice.
14. Think about personality types
The larger the school, the more types of personalities will be there. That means that you’ll find your people at the larger schools and you may need to look harder at a small school. Regardless, you need to learn your personality type.
This will change and become clearer to you as study for your undergraduate degree, but it’s good to think about it now. Ask yourself what you value and what type of friends you have now.
If you know a lot of extroverted people, maybe that means that you enjoy spending time with people who are different than you. Or maybe you prefer fellow introverts who completely understand you.
15. Check out the Greek life
Greek life is not for everybody, and most people already have an opinion on it. Greek life is similar to student organizations in that you can make deep connections with people you may never meet otherwise.
Plus, you get this incredible network of people who care about you and want to see you succeed. Not to mention that becoming a member of Greek life will give the college experience, even if there are no illicit substances involved.
16. Find the average class size
You can get a quality education with a large class size as long as you are communicating with the professor or teacher’s assistant outside of class.
A lower student-teacher ratio will mean that you get to know your professors better. You’ll likely get this type of class the further you get into your studies regardless of how big your school is.
However, it’s worth considering that you may want smaller class sizes to get to know your professors and build relationships when it comes time for letters of recommendation. You may want one for you’re applying for master’s degrees and future jobs.
17. Find a school that allows you to have alone time
No matter how much you challenge yourself, you’re still going to need space. The fact is that being an introvert means you need time to recharge after social interactions. You’ll need spaces that are completely your own without getting bothered when you don’t want to be bothered.
Challenging yourself is as much about getting out of your comfort zone as it is about remembering what you need to avoid burnout.
Believe it or not, you’ll find this at almost any school, small college or big university. It’s all about the way you think about school and growing into your own person.
18. Consider what kind of weather and geography you prefer
You don’t want to study in the snow if you hate the snow. You also don’t want to study in the blistering heat if you hate the blistering heat. Choose the type of weather that you want to live in for four years.
Maybe you want to explore the mountains or local national parks while you’re studying. These factors are just as important as how big the school is and what type of degrees they offer.
You might have to compromise on the weather if you get into some Ivy League school that will make your dream of becoming a research scientist come true. But, you still need to remember that four years of hating the weather will get to you eventually.
19. Remember to push yourself outside of your comfort zone
Find your balance when you’re in school. Make sure that you engage with other people to find those meaningful connections you’d otherwise miss while also staying home and watching a show when you need a break.
Challenging yourself and leaving your comfort zone requires you to balance feeling completely uncomfortable with safety. If you stay too long in either place, you’ll either get burnt out or you won’t experience college in the way that you deserve to.
In the end, whether you’re studying fine arts, information systems, social sciences, or computer networks, you’re in college to learn how to be an adult. You’ll fail at it and you’ll learn how to do better, so give yourself a reason to learn how to do better.
20. Research opportunities for work experience
As you finish your search for a school that fits you, remember that you might live in that same area for a while. You might start your career in the same city that you’re studying in, so look into the available opportunities.
You may end up leaving the city after you graduate, but you also may end up loving it. In either case, get an good idea of whether you could even live there with the job opportunities.
