Generally, the world can be split up into two groups of people. Cat lovers and cat haters. People who look good in hats and people who look very bad in hats. Introverts and extroverts.
Although it may seem like an even split, it can often feel like the world is much more catered to one side than the other, and feeling like you fit into the “other” side can be harder than finding a vegetarian option at a restaurant that isn’t a pasta dish or a Caesar salad without the bacon.
O-Week can be one of those things. Parties, market days, ice breakers. Bubbly, extroverted people in red shirts smiling and chatting to you all over campus. Although those red-shirted humans are there to help you, it can feel a little overwhelming if you’re used to staying inside and enjoying your alone time.
Remember, O-Week is what you make of it, and if you want it can be a little, introverted party for one.
So relax, take a load off. Stop pressuring yourself to make 100 friends on the first day and to dress up for every theme night just to fit in. And keep in mind these top tips to make O-Week exactly what you want it to be.
Complain About Things
One thing that binds all uni students is their need to complain. If not evident at first, this method of uni survival will soon emerge after a student suffers a lecture that feels like it went for five hours, or their first encounter with the details of APA referencing. So break the ice. Be the complainer. Whinge about your early-morning lecture or moan about your timetable. And have no doubt that in a few minutes, you’ll have another person complaining right alongside you. And if that isn’t the most effective yet effortless method of making friends, I don’t know what is.
Embrace the Grump
Everyone knows about Grumpy Cat. Everyone loves Grumpy Cat. We’ve all seen the memes, and we all adore him for his carefree contempt of the world around him. It’s his scrunched up face that makes him so lovable. So embrace your inner Grumpy Cat. Let people know that, actually, that event is kinda lame. Say that you want to go home and take a nap. Sure, some people will think you’re trying to be cool or ironic. But really, if it gets you out of a situation that’s not “you” and earns you a few grumpy pals, what’s wrong with that?
Stay Home
O-Week is chock-a-block full of activities. You cannot turn a corner on campus without finding something new and exciting to do. But that doesn’t mean you have to. As all introverts know, spending time around people requires us to also take some alone time to rest and recharge our emotional and social batteries. So head to the market days, make the most of your course information sessions, and go to parties if that’s what you’re into. But just remember that toga parties and red-shirted extroverts will always be there next year – and it’s OK if you just want to take some time to chill!
