Finding some “Quiet” during your first weeks on campus
I’ve just finished leading my Project Wake group’s discussion of Susan Cain’s “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking.” This is the second time I’ve had the opportunity to facilitate a discussion about introversion with a group of first year students (during orientation no less – which can be a tough time for introverts!), and it was so rewarding. Being largely a group that was introvert-identified, it makes sense that we were able to go deep pretty quickly and discussed the challenges and unique strengths that we can bring to relationships, teams, and society. Much of our discussion also centered on how our intersecting identities might also manifest through our preferences along the extroversion/introversion spectrum. This was an amazing and vulnerable group, and I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend a little time with them.
Adjusting to college can be a challenge for just about anyone, regardless of where we get our energy. As Cain reminds us, when we’ve been transplanted to a new environment, looking for opportunities to create some familiar structure and routine in our days can be useful – running/walking; listening to music; yoga; reading are just a few examples. Mindfulness practice (shameless plug for the UCC’s online resources for mindfuless) is another great strategy for managing the excitement and challenge that comes with the first weeks of a new semester and year. As always, if you’re not quite sure what to do or where to go for help with adjustment, just reach out to an RA, or call the UCC, and we can sit down with you to create a plan!
If you’d like to learn more about introversion, you can see Susan Cain’s TedTalk. Want to know more about the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)? Below is a great graphic about the different MBTI types (to the tune of Marvel characters, no less). Additionally, Office of Personal and Career Development (OPCD) can provide you with the MBTI assessment and an individual interpretation. Just give them a call.
