- #1
Dembadon
Gold Member
- 659
- 89
I'm not usually one to reach out and make friends with other students. I usually arrive at the library right when it opens every morning (7:00 AM) and find the same, wall-facing spot in the corner to sit and do my work. I study until my first class (9:00 AM). I walk into class and grab a seat in the front row, right at the very center. I open a book and read while I wait for class to start, and when class is over, I get up and book-it back to my spot in the library to get 30 minutes of studying in before my next class.
This type of behavior has always made me seem aloof and unapproachable (or so I'm told), and I hadn't thought it mattered to me that much in a university setting. After all, most of the conversations I hear while waiting on the elevators or eating lunch are about things I've no interest participating in anymore. I just have different goals and priorities now, so I'm not interested in making friends with 90% of the people I see.
I definitely underestimated how important it is to make friends on campus. I had started to feel very alone and depressed. My wife kept suggesting that I find someone to study with, but the weird thing was that this was usually just the way I liked it--alone. However, it wasn't until I joined the math club that I found out just how motivating and refreshing it can be to hang out with people to whom you can relate.
The math club is great. I've never met a group of more genuine and friendly people (PF being an exception), and I think this is the first time I've actually felt like I fit-in with a group in an academic setting. It's helped me much more than I anticipated, and I'm actually looking forward to the next meeting.
Why am I posting this? I'm hoping it might help someone who's trying to figure out why they feel overwhelmed and/or depressed even if they're not having any problems academically. I didn't realize my emotional funk was due to feeling somewhat isolated in a large, fast-paced environment, because it was something that had never really been much of an issue 'till now.
So, even if groups aren't normally your thing, give one a try. You might enjoy it.
This type of behavior has always made me seem aloof and unapproachable (or so I'm told), and I hadn't thought it mattered to me that much in a university setting. After all, most of the conversations I hear while waiting on the elevators or eating lunch are about things I've no interest participating in anymore. I just have different goals and priorities now, so I'm not interested in making friends with 90% of the people I see.
I definitely underestimated how important it is to make friends on campus. I had started to feel very alone and depressed. My wife kept suggesting that I find someone to study with, but the weird thing was that this was usually just the way I liked it--alone. However, it wasn't until I joined the math club that I found out just how motivating and refreshing it can be to hang out with people to whom you can relate.
The math club is great. I've never met a group of more genuine and friendly people (PF being an exception), and I think this is the first time I've actually felt like I fit-in with a group in an academic setting. It's helped me much more than I anticipated, and I'm actually looking forward to the next meeting.
Why am I posting this? I'm hoping it might help someone who's trying to figure out why they feel overwhelmed and/or depressed even if they're not having any problems academically. I didn't realize my emotional funk was due to feeling somewhat isolated in a large, fast-paced environment, because it was something that had never really been much of an issue 'till now.
So, even if groups aren't normally your thing, give one a try. You might enjoy it.
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