An introvert reflects on adjusting to dorm life
I never realized how different my quaint little hometown would be compared to a major metropolitan area like the one surrounding Saint Joseph’s University. As an introvert, I loved the fact that my house backed up to a community park where I could take a walk around the fields or sit at the small pond if I needed some peace to clear my head.
City Avenue isn’t quite as quiet as the residential neighborhoods and corn fields that surround Doylestown, Pa., to say the least; it likes to make sure I’m fully awake with its always-persistent traffic and frequent sirens that fly right past my dorm. Instead of grumbling at the noise, I try to embrace my new, more urban, surroundings. After a while, the busy streets and the chatter in the library have become more like background noise and reading Dante in any not-so-quiet place has become less of a struggle.
My small town is also more of a residential area and my cul-de-sac holds a lot less neighbors than a college dorm. At most, we would wave to our neighbor who walks his dog, or accept vegetables from the neighbor who has her own garden, or even attend a small Christmas party during the holidays.
Well, now I live on a single hall with more than 20 peers. My first day, I could not count how many greetings and introductions were made, but all I could think was that this requires a lot more effort than just waving to my neighbor across the street. I needed more coffee for this.
I’ve had to remind myself multiple times that leaving my door open to meet new people on my floor is perfectly normal and I should do it more often. It still almost feels like leaving my house front door open for neighbors to stop in and say “hi,” but the friendly culture that comes from living with people on a common floor make it a different situation.
After the first few times I had to get ready in the morning and interact with others before my morning coffee, though, I became more at ease with my fellow neighbors and even myself. I definitely am not the only one who needs a little caffeine-boost before socializing.
Usually, though, I would feel self-conscious about seeing others before I was fully awake and ready to tackle the day. Living so closely with my neighbors has taught me that it’s okay to socialize at times I do not expect to: in the morning, when studying sometimes, or literally any time you walk down a hallway and see another person. But it’s also O.K. not to at times when introverts like myself need a small break from the world.
The transition from my suburban town to city life in a college dorm has had its shocks at many points, but I’ve enjoyed my few moments as an “extroverted introvert”. From learning to be productive around others to even just living around more people, the experience has taught me to keep an open mind. Yes, it’s O.K. to stop by other people’s rooms. Yes, it’s O.K. to have a social study session. Yes, it’s O.K. for neighbors to see me with slight bedhead at eight in the morning.
Since moving into a dorm room, I’ve felt more than a little overwhelmed at times, but I see it as an opportunity to experience the life of an extrovert. I always wondered what it would be like to be outgoing and thrive on the social life that college offers. Even though I’m still an introvert at heart, I’ve been able to learn the ways of an outgoing college student— living in such a vibrant college setting has encouraged me to view my introversion with a more extroverted perspective.
