An Introvert’s Guide to UCI
With UCI’s student body size of 37,629, campus engagement can be daunting for an introvert. Before attending UCI, I studied at a small high school with nearly all of my town’s teenagers. The small town atmosphere let my introverted soul flourish. At the same time, I wanted to plant myself on a university campus teeming with social opportunity.
Introversion doesn’t necessarily mean you are only shy, it is defined by the amount of sociability you are able to endure without calling it quits. I was afraid that UCI would be too overwhelming and draining. To my surprise, I have adapted and prospered in our bustling environment. Here are some tips from a self-proclaimed introverted Anteater:
Find your on-campus sanctuary
Take a lap around campus. See any spot that catches your interest? There are plenty of hidden spots on campus, you just need to explore. It helps to find a quiet, empty, and calming environment in the area of your major’s school. As a humanities student, my go-to spot is a patio overlooking the flora and fauna of Aldrich Park. The birds are always chirping and the greenery absorbs most of the buzz from between class rushes. It’s located down the first left path off of the bridge connecting Student Center and Humanities - but let’s keep this between us.
2. Make close ties (But not too many, because you know…)
By joining a student organization you are basically given a friend group. I attended an up-and-coming club’s first meeting and immediately made lifelong friends! We acknowledge each other's needs and schedules. I find that with larger clubs, such as Chinese Association, you are put into “families.” These families are sub-units of the member base and will be the people you interact with the most. Don’t worry about feeling the need to know everyone in the org, most of the time nobody does.
3. Professors are your friends!
When I was a freshman, my lecture halls were around 300 students and I didn’t get the same one-on-one interactions I was used to. I sat in a sea of students who were already friends from High School and I didn’t have the nerve to interrupt their conversations to join. But you know what? Professors and TAs LOVE interacting with their students. Take this as a chance to make a meaningful, friendly connection and benefit from some extra homework help. Being friends with teachers is cool now.
Being a college student doesn’t require you to socialize at every given moment. Embrace eating lunch alone (everyone does) and bumping up the music volume on your earphones. Now that we are independent, it is not frowned upon for being in your own self-interest.
Maelee is a third-year global cultures and international studies student. She hails from the suburbs of Los Angeles, CA but her heart is split between France and South Korea. In her free time she replays Skyrim and looks for new laptop stickers on Esty.
