{"id":4135,"date":"2025-04-15T12:00:29","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T16:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/?p=4135"},"modified":"2025-03-12T11:22:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T15:22:38","slug":"how-to-thrive-in-college-as-an-introvert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/2025\/04\/15\/how-to-thrive-in-college-as-an-introvert\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Thrive in College as an Introvert"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Before coming to Cedarville as a freshman, I felt that I needed to start over. For as long as I could remember, I&#8217;d been labeled &#8220;the quiet girl.&#8221; Making friends has never been easy. I&#8217;ve often found it hard to carry on casual conversations with my classmates, even my friends. One minute, words are flowing. The next moment, we hit a speed bump. Silence. I start fidgeting, reaching for something, anything to talk about.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8220;It&#8217;s going to be really cold tomorrow.&#8221; Or, &#8220;What class do you have next?&#8221; even though I know the answer.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The truth is, most of the time, I prefer to keep to myself. On the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator, I came out as 91% introverted. Even to this day, I can probably count my friends on one hand. After four years at Cedarville, I&#8217;m not ashamed of it. Even as I write, I&#8217;m sitting in a quiet corner at Beans-n-Cream, overhearing chatter in the next room, picking up words here and there. I spend a lot of time alone, but I&#8217;m not lonely. I still value friendship. And I still know how to love people. It just looks a little different than it would for someone more outgoing.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If nobody has told you yet, I&#8217;m here to let you know that it&#8217;s okay to be an introvert.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4143 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Mysterious-Figure-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=900%2C1124&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"View from a distance of a person walking in the dark.\" width=\"900\" height=\"1124\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Mysterious-Figure-Photo-scaled.jpg?w=2049&amp;ssl=1 2049w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Mysterious-Figure-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=250%2C312&amp;ssl=1 250w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Mysterious-Figure-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C875&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Mysterious-Figure-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Mysterious-Figure-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=1229%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1229w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Mysterious-Figure-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=1639%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1639w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Mysterious-Figure-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=120%2C150&amp;ssl=1 120w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Mysterious-Figure-Photo-scaled.jpg?w=1800&amp;ssl=1 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you&#8217;re new here and can relate to my deep need for recharge time, you may have found adjusting to college life a bit difficult. Maybe you wait for the odd times between lunch and dinner to hit Chick-fil-A or Tossed because you don&#8217;t enjoy the cramped chaos of a long line. Perhaps to-go containers from the Dining Hall tend to pile up in your dorm room trash can, and every now and then, you feel a pang for home. Maybe after a long day of classes, orgs, and work, the return to your dorm leaves you collapsed on your bed, sighing deeply, drinking in the softness of your own space.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Let me take you back a little: It\u2019s freshman year, Getting Started weekend. Even though I used to not wear makeup, I made sure I applied a little. A faux gold necklace with little stars hung from my neck, with some earrings to match. I was determined to remake my image, to ditch the quiet girl persona once and for all. I wanted to ensure I had a friend group to call my own, hopefully sooner rather than later. For the first week, I attended almost every activity my dorm offered, every bro-sis event, worship night, and off campus outing with the other girls in my Printy unit. Until &#8230; I couldn&#8217;t anymore. Because truth be told, I was exhausted. The stress of change and the whirlwind of college life left me unable to sleep at night. I&#8217;d lay awake for hours, trying everything: three types of melatonin, sleep syrups, meditations, and lots and lots of desperate prayers. For a week, I could barely get more than two hours of shut-eye a night. Finally, I made an appointment with UMS. When I told the nurse what was going on, she said something that stuck with me.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8220;Adjusting to college life is hard, especially if you&#8217;re an introvert.&#8221;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After just a few short weeks and a bout of COVID, I realized I couldn&#8217;t keep it up. I began to carve little outlets of alone time, and they made a world of difference for my mental health. With the blessing of a bike on campus, I would often cycle into town and hit the bike trail. Fresh air is truly a gift from God. And being out in nature reminded me of all that I had to thank Him for. I could spend time in prayer, listen to the Word, and clear my mind.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4144 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Bike-Photo.jpg?resize=900%2C1125&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Image of bike handles approaching a stop sign at the end of a paved bike trail.\" width=\"900\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Bike-Photo.jpg?w=1084&amp;ssl=1 1084w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Bike-Photo.jpg?resize=250%2C313&amp;ssl=1 250w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Bike-Photo.jpg?resize=700%2C875&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Bike-Photo.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Bike-Photo.jpg?resize=120%2C150&amp;ssl=1 120w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Still, I wanted to make friends. And once I realized I could not turn myself into any less of an introvert, I was left with me, as I&#8217;d always been. The turning point came when I realized, gradually, that I didn&#8217;t have to run from myself. I could use my personality, interests, and background as a bridge to connect with others. Let&#8217;s begin with my roommate, Brook. We did not know each other before coming to Cedarville. We met through a Facebook group, both searching for roommates. I put out an \u201cabout me\u201d post, mentioning that I enjoy creative writing. Brook commented that she, too, liked to write. I can proudly say we have been friends and roommates all four years at CU! When we talk, sometimes we talk about more surface-level topics, like how our day went, or how our classes are going. And sometimes, we talk about complex things: the intricacies of the human psyche, our post-grad fears and aspirations, and our current writing projects.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve found I crave in a friend: complex conversation.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Something that has helped me find people with whom I&#8217;ve been able to reach this level of depth is getting involved in activities around campus that interest me. And believe me, friend, it&#8217;s not always easy. Don&#8217;t overdo it. Just pick 1 to 3, depending on the busyness of your schedule and how much you think you can reasonably handle. My freshman year, I joined the creative writing org called Inklings, The Riding Centre local ministry, and a D-Group. Anyone who knows me knows that I love horses. Through the Riding Centre, a volunteer program at a stable that gives riding lessons to individuals with special needs, I met other people who also loved, rode, and trained horses. Having a horse of my own has acted as a door to let people into my life. In the past, if someone has been interested, I&#8217;ve invited them to go out to my barn with me. Just the other day, I grabbed dinner with a girl who, I discovered, showed horses at the same county fair that I did back in high school.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4147 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Frank-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=900%2C1125&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Close-up side view of a horse's face.\" width=\"900\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Frank-Photo-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Frank-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=250%2C313&amp;ssl=1 250w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Frank-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C875&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Frank-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Frank-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=1229%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1229w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Frank-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=1638%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1638w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Frank-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=120%2C150&amp;ssl=1 120w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Frank-Photo-scaled.jpg?w=1800&amp;ssl=1 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/inklingscreativewriting.carrd.co\/\">Inklings Org<\/a> has also been pivotal in my social development at CU. I met Adam, my now fianc\u00e9, in a creative writing workshop group. What&#8217;s funny is that on the night we met, we talked for almost two hours and didn&#8217;t even get one another&#8217;s names, majors, or hometowns until the last 5 minutes before we parted! That&#8217;s how I knew we were going to be best friends.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">After four years, I can tell you that I never really rewrote my identity like my high school self had hoped. I don&#8217;t have a friend \u201cgroup,\u201d per say. I still eat many of my meals alone. But I&#8217;m not lonely. I&#8217;m observing. Contemplating. Cherishing. I have a handful of people I can reach out to for lunch, swapping manuscripts, and trips to the barn. And that&#8217;s all I really need.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559731&quot;:720,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4150 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Hands-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=900%2C1125&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Image of two hands reaching for each other.\" width=\"900\" height=\"1125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Hands-Photo-scaled.jpg?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Hands-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=250%2C313&amp;ssl=1 250w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Hands-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C875&amp;ssl=1 700w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Hands-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C960&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Hands-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=1229%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1229w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Hands-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=1638%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1638w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Hands-Photo-scaled.jpg?resize=120%2C150&amp;ssl=1 120w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/studentlife\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Introvert-Blog-Post-Hands-Photo-scaled.jpg?w=1800&amp;ssl=1 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You don&#8217;t have to be extroverted to thrive at Cedarville University. Read Haley&#8217;s blog post to find out how to thrive as an introvert. ","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":4287,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[118,69,75],"tags":[99,72,42,68,40,59,116],"class_list":["post-4135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-life","category-experience","category-student-guide","tag-advice","tag-experience","tag-experiences","tag-friends","tag-personal","tag-studentlife-2","tag-tips"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Thrive in College as an Introvert - Student Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You don&#039;t have to be extroverted to thrive at Cedarville University. 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