An Introvert's Guide To Surviving At A B-School

B-schools are the perfect cauldron of people from all the spheres of life, yet: carved out to fit the extroverts of the world. A typical day at a B-school means 24 hours of social interaction in the name of peer learning, group assignments or committee meetings and while this situation might sound like a great learning experience, as an introvert with loner tendencies, I would prefer to be Buddha and find my learnings.

An introvert’s initial days in college can be quiet petrifying; your usual tricks of avoiding social interaction might not come handy. You can’t glue your face to your mobile and walk across someone (most probably a senior) pretending you haven’t seen them. You got to slow down your pace, either wave your hand or give a smile and blurt out any general form of greeting you can think of. After they have crossed, you may take a sigh of relief. Whatever you do, you can’t avoid social interactions.

After spending a fair amount of share at a B-school, here are the revelations I have made on how to manoeuvre your way through the maze of this unavoidable dread.

1. Have an open mind:  The first rule, have an open mind and don’t judge people. Everybody has their own set of problems, and everyone is trying to figure them out, chances are even they are looking for a friend, all you need to do is be open.

2. Starting a conversation: This is the Achilles heel of an introvert. Suppose, you found a secluded place in the corner of the mess, you have your earphones plugged in and solitary savouring your meal that’s when your batch mate walks in with a plate and sits in front of you. Its a dilemma, to start a chat or not? And if you start, then how? Don’t worry, I have got you covered. People love to talk about themselves- it’s a science. A study shows that humans devote 30-40% of their speech output solely to inform others of their subjective experience. So why not start a conversation on their favourite topic- themselves and witness those treacherous conversation become a cakewalk.

3. Find your crowd: You know you are a lone wolf but as Ned Stark once said, “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives”. You need to find your tribe; they would be the support system for these two crucial years of your life. Choose wisely.

4. Be confident: Be confident and have trust in the soft skills you are born with. While your extroverted peers would be great at making first impressions, it would be you who would make much more lasting and meaningful connections without even trying.

5. Find your space: Explore the campus and find yourself a haven. For introvert long hours of social interaction could be very draining, so look for empty places outside the radar of regular people to recharge your batteries and get ready for the next day.

On an ending note, introversion is neither a problem nor is it power, it is just a state of being. Be confident and don’t lose yourself.