By Paige Lougheed (Residence Advisor-HMSM House)
As an introvert, residence can at times be a challenging place to live. Student housing is full of pressure to be around and meet new people, whether this be in the dining hall, floor lounge or at events. Living in a shared room can be especially tiring and difficult for someone who dislikes excess environmental stimuli. Sometimes, even just having a friend stay in your room longer than you’d anticipated can be stressful for an introvert. Students are already at risk of emotional burnout with academic demands, and don’t need the added pressure of constant social interaction when it is not wanted.
For your reference, an introvert is defined as someone who is energized by spending time alone, and is mainly concerned with his or her own thoughts and feelings. Consequently, an extrovert thrives off their social environments, and is often described by others as an outgoing individual. However, this doesn’t mean that introverts can’t be outgoing people, and that extroverts don’t value time alone. It’s not uncommon for introverts to be able to pass as extroverted people due to a friendly demeanour.
I’ll admit that I hated my first year living in residence. I identify as an introvert, and I disliked the extremes between being at big loud parties and spending hours alone in my room, and I often felt that I could never find a happy medium between the two. Thankfully, I survived living in residence and even decided to return as a Residence Advisor! So, here I am to provide a few tips and tricks:
- Schedule time for yourself – One of the hallmark traits of introverts is needing time to be alone and recharge your batteries. Sometimes, if I haven’t been alone for a couple of hours, I’ll make an excuse to go to the washroom just so that I can have a few moments to collect my thoughts. I acknowledge that this isn’t the most practical thing to do, which is why it’s important to make alone time a priority!
- Know that each individual is unique, and you have strengths to your personality just as others do. You have strengths that another person may not. Maybe your reflective abilities make you a fantastic listener. Maybe your communication skills make you an excellent writer. Use your strengths to your social benefit.
- Attend events to meet new people, but only stay for as long as you’re comfortable. You don’t have to stay until the very end of a program to have gotten your fill of it.
- People value different types of friendship. Do you find yourself with a few close, intense relationships rather than many friends who aren’t as close? On the surface, having less friends may seem like a drawback, but perhaps you find more meaning in closer, more intense relationships.
To conclude, it’s important to remember that simply because you identify as an introvert doesn’t mean that you don’t like to go out and socialize from time to time. People don’t always fit as neatly in the categories that we place them in. If you are ever struggling with fitting into residence, remember that your Residence Advisor is here to help you with whatever you may be going through 🙂
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