Anna Voskuil | Copy Editor
Featured Image: The world was built with the extrovert in mind, and the rest of us just have to deal with it. | Basma Elbahnasawy
Going into university, the one and only thing I was excited for was the academic experience. Think about it—you can choose whatever major you please; spend hours expanding your mind into new worlds and places you never knew existed, but always wanted to visit; and the libraries—I imagined myself inside a huge, quiet library, every single day, escaping the boisterous and pushy crowds. My high-school-senior self thought it was paradise, and even today, as a third-year university student, I still stand by it.
However, I recognized the other side of university life, a life where I never felt welcome—the social side. Frosh Week is too loud, bars are awkward and overwhelming, and speaking to multiple people in a day can be incredibly draining.
University, like countless other institutions in society—well, maybe except libraries—are geared towards the extrovert’s need for constant stimulation. Frosh Week, “team spirit,” the expected “normal” rites of passage of young adulthood—drinking, dating, and parties—is pushed on all of us on a daily basis.
Now, I’m not here trying to mock or downplay these events or situations. I understand that they mean a lot to many people, and that they can make their university experience worthwhile.
I’m here to speak to those of you reading this who may also find yourself in my shoes: it’s an extrovert’s world, and we all get to live in it. So we put on a mask. Or feel guilt for wanting to leave that party early, or alienated from our peers when we’d rather spend time in the library instead of joining them in the bustling Frosh Week festivities.
Now, you might be thinking: “Okay, so are you encouraging us to never be social and sit in a dark corner all day?” To that, I would say—you’re missing my point. What I hope you’ll all take away from this—both introverts and extroverts alike—is that you’re not alone. It’s okay if you don’t want to party and drink after exams, want to have a small group of friends rather than a large one, and need to take time to recharge from hours of socializing—and that’s perfectly okay. You have so much more to offer than you may think.
