Are you an introvert wondering how to study in college without feeling uncomfortable? Don’t worry, everything will be okay if you learn and practice effective survival techniques for introverts. In this article, we have outlined tips to help you thrive as an introvert student in college. Read on to find out more.
Before we share the best study tips for introverts, let’s evaluate what we mean when we refer to someone as an introvert. Here is a simplified description of a person with an introverted personality. An individual directed inward ( towards his or her thoughts and feelings).
You can tell if you are an introvert by observing your behavior especially when you are in a crowd. People with this trait often spend time alone and feel drained or uncomfortable in social places or around others.
Here are some useful tips to help you study as an introvert.
Study tips for introvert students: A guide for introverts in college
1. Consult your college instructors and professional homework
Students who fear speaking to people face-to-face can consult their instructors through email and ask them any questions. Alternatively, they can seek professional essay writing assistance from services like FastEssay which has experienced writers who can help you write top-notch papers online. The experts dedicate their time and resources to helping learners, particularly college students, understand their assignments and improve their grades.
As much as being an introvert enables you to avoid a lot of distractions and concentrate on school work, it can have detrimental effects on your social life. Since you’ll likely spend most of your time alone, you won’t waste a lot of time on unnecessary activities.
However, as an introvert, you might struggle with communicating with your peers or speaking and asking questions in the classroom. Luckily, you can use other platforms to get the assistance you need.
2. Find a mentor
A mentor can be any person you connect with and feel confident talking to. Apart from helping you make critical decisions, a mentor can provide useful tips to help you survive in college if you find it challenging to make friends.
3. Explore on-campus resources that may make learning less stressful
Introverts in college find it challenging to maximize their potential by failing to use the right resources. However, you can avoid such an experience by exploring college programs and resources aimed at supporting students struggling with social anxiety and other challenges affecting introverts.
For instance, you can use the school library for personal studies or borrow books and other study materials and use them in your dorm room or any other convenient place.
4. Understand and accept yourself
The first step to help you survive college as an introvert is to accept yourself. That involves trying to understand your personality and being true to yourself. College life can be stressful for shy and introverted students who feel uncomfortable in group situations.
As much as you may wish you loved partying with your classmates, your personality may not allow you to interact with others freely. If you find yourself in such a tricky situation, you don’t have to judge or curse yourself. You can still enjoy your free time without forcing yourself to be what you are not.
As an introvert, never allow your peers to pressure you into doing things that make you uncomfortable. So, if you feel like spending time alone, feel free to find a conducive environment that gives you the peace you need. However, you should set aside enough time for your studies and schedule some hours for social time to avoid boredom.
5. Identify your weaknesses and strengths
Some people think being an introvert is a weakness. However, like any other personality, it has several strengths and weaknesses. You might be shy or lack the confidence to withstand large crowds, but you have other unique and admirable characteristics.
Similarly, you might find some study behaviors more rewarding than others. So, it’s best to know your strengths and strive to improve yourself. For example, most introverts are critical thinkers, meaning, a majority are excellent essay writers and can comprehend written information better than spoken words. So, you should identify your weaknesses and look for reliable ways to improve yourself.
6. Join study groups
As an introvert, you may not be comfortable socializing or joining study groups with many participants. If you find it challenging or stressful to join your classmates and discuss academic work or even engage in other productive activities during your free time, why not choose a few individuals you consider more friendly and form a study group?
You don’t have to necessarily meet on campus or in your dorms for discussion. You can schedule online meetings through platforms like Zoom and learn something meaningful.
Joining study groups can also create a good foundation for socializing and help you control social anxiety. You can meet up for coffee, board games, fun trips, and movies once you are comfortable with your study group’s members.
Key characteristics of introverts in college
Naturally, as an introvert, you likely have different and unique learning techniques and preferences that you consider more effective. Whatever works best for extroverts might not be that efficient for introverted students.
Whether you prefer learning online or attending classroom sessions, always keep in mind that your personality plays a major role in determining your learning approaches.
Here is a list of learning preferences for introverts to help you know what can work best for you:
- Most introverted students learn and improve their skills and knowledge by observing, meaning they are attentive to details and also good critical thinkers.
- Introverts prefer their personal space and excel when working alone.
- They have a long attention span and can concentrate deeply.
- Introverts can survive college without feeling overwhelmed since they dedicate their time and efforts to completing tasks without depending on others.
- They are very cautious about making poor decisions.
- They prefer studying in quiet places without noise and any other distractions.
- Most introverts are good at describing things when giving explanations rather than demonstrating.
Being an introvert shouldn’t hinder you from exploring life and achieving your academic goals
We understand that talking to people or making new friends can be a challenge. The same applies to seeking help, guidance, or consulting your classmates and instructors. But if you want to have a productive and successful life, you should try to find a few friends who understand your personality.
You should also consider trying the strategies that we have outlined in this article and embrace the ones you find more effective. Of course, all the tips can be useful for introverts, but you might have your preferences.
