{"id":33545,"date":"2021-11-17T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/?p=33545"},"modified":"2025-08-01T12:00:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T10:00:25","slug":"how-to-survive-university-as-an-introvert-our-advice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/how-to-survive-university-as-an-introvert-our-advice\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Survive University as an Introvert: Our Advice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Going to university is no longer just about getting a degree. These days, the social life and the overall student \u201cexperience\u201d are equally as important. But if the mere thought of meeting and mixing with lots of new people is enough to make you tired, you are not alone. According to Psychology Today<\/a>, as many as 1 in 2 people are \u201cintroverts\u201d<\/strong>, and too much time spent socializing can leave introverts feeling drained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, student life can be tough for introverted people. How can you make and keep friends while looking after your mental health? Keep reading to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Know your strengths.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Being introverted doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you\u2019re shy<\/strong> or that you have nothing to say. In fact, some introverts are very happy chatting away in the right company, and some of the best public speakers are introverts. This is not as strange as it sounds. With public speaking<\/a>, you have the chance to prepare what you\u2019re going to say beforehand, and you are addressing a room rather than participating in a conversation. So, if you are an introvert but want to get involved in extracurriculars at university, you could try the debating club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introverts are often thought-provoking writers, so if you are more comfortable with the written word than speaking, you could join the student newspaper instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Be true to yourself.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Student life is known for being loud and raucous, and some freshmen may feel like they have to drink or go to parties, even if they don\u2019t want to. If large groups of people and late nights aren\u2019t really your thing, don\u2019t let your new friends pressure you into joining in. If you\u2019d rather put your PJs on, stay at home, and have your own private dance party, do that instead! You won\u2019t be missing out. In fact, you\u2019ll probably enjoy your evening more than if you\u2019d gone to the club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it\u2019s not good to spend all your time alone<\/strong>. Try and schedule some quiet social time into your week, like going to the movies with a friend or catching up over a coffee between classes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Business<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

3. Break out of your comfort zone occasionally.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is especially important if you\u2019ve just started university. Orientation events might seem like a lot, but it\u2019s the best time to get to know people<\/strong>. Just take it at your own pace. You don\u2019t have to go to every single event, but maybe pick a couple throughout the week that you think sound interesting. There will be things going on during the day as well as at night, and you never know\u2014you might just meet your new best friend this way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep pushing yourself in little ways throughout the semester, too. The trouble with being an introvert is that your world can sometimes feel very small. And sometimes\u2014maybe even most of the time\u2014that\u2019s the way you like it, but remember: It\u2019s good for you to get out of your own four walls every so often.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

4. Join a club, team, or society.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Getting involved with a club or society<\/a> is a great way to get you out of the house and meeting new people while doing something you enjoy. There will probably be a list of extracurriculars on your university\u2019s website for you to take a look at. For example, maybe you\u2019re a keen sportsperson, or you\u2019ve always had an interest in journalism, but equally, you could decide to try something different that you\u2019ve never done before<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Business<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Either way, joining an extracurricular is a low-pressure way of socializing because you know you\u2019ve already got one thing in common!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Skip the small talk.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Small talk is awkward<\/strong>. And during freshmen orientation, you\u2019ll probably find yourself making a lot of it. \u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d \u201cWhere are you from?\u201d \u201cWhat are you studying?\u201d If you feel like you have had this conversation too many times, try something different with the next person you talk to. Now, we\u2019re not suggesting you ask them to spill their deepest secrets when you\u2019ve only just met, but if the two of you can find some common ground, that will soon make the conversation flow more naturally. You will feel more comfortable and hopefully make a new friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Make friends with an extrovert.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of making friends, befriending an extrovert\u2019s not a bad idea<\/strong>. You might have totally opposing ideas of what makes a night \u201cfun\u201d\u2014staying in to binge the latest series of something on Netflix vs. partying till dawn\u2014but that\u2019s what will make you good for each other. While spending time with you might encourage your extrovert friend to slow down a bit, hanging out with them will help you step out of your comfort zone more, just like we discussed in #3.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

7. Organize your own small gatherings.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Socializing doesn\u2019t always have to be on other people\u2019s terms. If you find going out with your friends and doing what they want to do is too much for you, why not plan your own event?<\/strong> This way, you\u2019re in control of the activity and who\u2019s invited, and you can keep the numbers as low as you want. Maybe invite a handful of people you know well over for pizza and board games, or suggest a trip out to the movies, keeping things low-key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hopefully, if these are friends you know and like well, you won\u2019t find this as tiring as spending your evening with a larger circle of acquaintances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Speak to your instructors. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Being an introvert in university<\/a> doesn\u2019t just affect your social life. Sometimes, it can get in the way of your studies as well. For example, you may struggle to speak up or ask questions in class. But if that\u2019s the case, try not to shy away from speaking to your professors one-on-one<\/strong>. Instead, email them with any questions you have after the lecture and make use of their office hours to discuss your assignments. If you check in with your instructors regularly, you will better understand what they are looking for, and your grades will go up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Going to university is no longer just about getting a degree. These days, the social life and the overall student \u201cexperience\u201d are equally as important. But if the mere thought of meeting and mixing with lots of new people is enough to make you tired, you are not alone. According to Psychology Today, as many as 1 in 2 people are \u201cintroverts\u201d, and too much time spent socializing can leave introverts feeling drained. So, student life can be tough for introverted people. How can you make and keep friends while looking after your mental health? Keep reading to find out. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7774],"tags":[764,1549],"class_list":["post-33545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trends-in-education","tag-students","tag-university","post--single"],"yoast_head":"\r\nHow to Survive University as an Introvert: Our Advice | EU Business School<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/how-to-survive-university-as-an-introvert-our-advice\/\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"EU Business School\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.euruni.edu\\\/blog\\\/how-to-survive-university-as-an-introvert-our-advice\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"EU Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.euruni.edu\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Education Trends\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.euruni.edu\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/trends-in-education\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How to Survive University as an Introvert: Our Advice\"}]}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Survive University as an Introvert: Our Advice | EU Business School","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/how-to-survive-university-as-an-introvert-our-advice\/","author":"EU Business School","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/how-to-survive-university-as-an-introvert-our-advice\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"EU Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Education Trends","item":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/category\/trends-in-education\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How to Survive University as an Introvert: Our Advice"}]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33545"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40355,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33545\/revisions\/40355"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}