Heading back to campus is a kick in the guts for everyone, but it’s especially devastating for us introverts. Gone are the days of hiding away in our bedrooms, binging on Netflix for hours on end. Now that we’re back at uni, we’re surrounded by people ALL THE TIME. Honestly, it’s the stuff of nightmares.

If you’re an introvert, then you’d be all too familiar with these back to uni feels.

You’re Sick Of All The Small Talk 

The start of the semester is all about putting yourself out there, meeting new people, and making friends. Unfortunately, this tends to involve a hell of a lot of small talk – something that us introverts generally don’t enjoy.

Light-hearted chit-chat just isn’t our thing. We’re more interested in having deep, meaningful conversations. And, while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it does make the first few weeks of uni especially tough, as we attempt to navigate superficial small talk and cringey tutorial icebreakers.

It’s at this time in the semester when we can’t help but envy our more extroverted classmates, who never seem to run out of conversation starters. How do they do it? Is it witchcraft? And if so, can they teach us?

You’re Glued To Your Phone

Somehow, despite your aversion to small talk, you’ve managed to make a couple of friends in the weeks since uni began. But, looking around the lecture theatre, it seems they haven’t arrived yet. So, what do you do?

Well, as an introvert, you’ve got two options. One: you can sit alone and awkwardly twiddle your thumbs. Or, two: you can whip out your phone and make yourself look busy.

There’s no shame in choosing option two. We’re all guilty of scrolling through our phones and re-reading old texts just to avoid an awkward situation.

You’ve Officially Been Branded As “The Quiet One”

It’s only been a couple of weeks, yet you’re already known as “the quiet one” in all your tutes. And, while this label is frustrating, you can’t exactly deny it.

As introverts, it takes us a little longer to warm up to people. We’re introspective. We prefer to listen and think things through, rather than speak up in a class full of strangers.

Sure, you’ll break out of your shell eventually. But, until then, you’re happy to just sit quietly at the back of the room. After all, you’ve got the rest of the semester to earn those participation marks, right?

You’ve Been Sneaking Around Campus To Avoid All The Crowds  

In the weeks before the census date, uni is buzzing with people. Lecture theatres are filled to the brim, the campus coffee shop has lines going out the door, and don’t even get us started on the state of public transport.

There’s nothing like the threat of being trampled to make you want to take a detour around campus. But, for us introverts, it’s something even more than that.

When we’re confronted with large groups of people, we can’t help but feel overwhelmed. Everything is loud, exhausting, and super stressful. So much so that we’d rather be late for our next class than get caught in the middle of a crowd. 

You’re Seriously Reconsidering Your Life Choices

University is undeniably a social environment. There are times when it can feel as though the only way to thrive on campus is to be an extrovert.

So, coming back to the social pressures of uni, it can be easy to start doubting yourself. A part of you might even be worried that you don’t have what it takes to survive another semester.

Don’t worry, unlike you’re more extroverted classmates, we get it. And we’re here to tell you that you shouldn’t doubt yourself. There’s nothing wrong with being quiet or shy or wanting some alone time every now and then. You can be an introvert and still kick-ass at uni!

Just focus on living your best (introverted) life and we promise that these back to uni feels will soon be a thing of the past.

(Lead image: Napoleon Dynamite / Fox)