Page 35 - 2015 UConn Student Activities Involvement Magazine
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ADVICE ON SPECIAL TOPICS
Take a look through the following pages to see if we can help Are you afraid of going alone?
ease your transition into life at UConn. Can’t find what you are
looking for here? Call us or stop by and someone would be more Few things make people more nervous than the thought of being
than happy to chat with you. alone in public for a meal or an event. Be assertive with your
friends. Say, “Hey, I want to go to this movie, anyone want to go?”
860-486-3423 | Student Union Room 302 - 308 or, “Is anyone going to dinner soon?” Most people are drawn to
UConn Student Activities @UConnActivities confident people, so if you are asking these questions in a bold
way, people will come with you. You can also take the honest
approach, and do it in an assertive way: “I have to go to this
program for class and I don’t want to go alone. Anyone want to go?
I’ll go with you when you have to go to something.” If you do have
to go to something alone, go with confidence! Walk strong. Bring
a book to read or a notebook to write in… pretend to be doing ob-
servation for a class. And after a few times doing this, you will find
that you are actually stronger and braver than you think!
Amaris Vazquez Are you shy?
Graduation year: 2016 It’s natural for some people to get nervous about jumping into
Major: English the social scene. Don’t try to overcome shyness all at once… do
it gradually. A good way to start is to do one thing that is “braver”
How I got involved: When I started at UConn, I wouldn’t talk than you usually do in your typical activities. Make eye contact
to anyone unless they talked to me and would not go out to any with someone, smile, and say “hi.” Ask a question in class. As
events unless I was invited by someone (which I often cancelled you get used to these activities, create new ones. It’s also a good
anyway). It’s extremely difficult having to deal with depression idea to get involved in activities that have structure and help you to
and anxiety regularly, more so than those unaffected realize. We talk to others, guided by leaders helping the conversations along.
can’t just “let it go” or “forget about it” because it engulfs you You will meet others who are involved and have a chance to have
and ties you down on a physical level. Heading out of the house to conversations when you are training or meeting, going to projects
hang out with friends and have fun becomes a battle to tame the and talking about common experiences. It’s okay to be a quiet
anxiety that bubbles over to ensure you that it will be a disaster and reserved person. But we don’t want you in your room on your
and you’re better off staying at home watching Netflix and playing computer all the time--we want you with us at programs and taking
video games. My first 2 years at UConn were pretty miserable, part in clubs and organizations!
until I had to take time off for academic reasons. I spent time
learning to deal with my anxiety and depression so it wouldn’t rule Are you a former high school athlete?
my life again. When I got back to school, a friend convinced me
to join Jumpstart. Through Community Outreach (CO) I have met It can be a huge transition from being a high school athlete to
some of the best people I could have imagined, and it gave me becoming a college student. Unless you are a college varsity
the courage to succeed elsewhere. My grades finally represented athlete, you are probably thinking that you will have to let go of
my hard work. Community service sparks an overwhelming feeling your love of the game. But you don’t! We have over 40 club sports,
of fulfillment and achievement that permeates into all aspects of and these teams compete with other college teams. We also have
your life. Plus, most of the time in CO we work in smaller groups dozens of recreational teams that compete with other UConn
so that you’re not bombarded with 100 people wanting to know teams on campus.
more about you. It’s the perfect way to slowly feel like part of a
family and gives you the strength to then feel confident in large Advice from Student Experts | Special Topics 33
groups. I am now the Jumpstart Coordinator and an FYE TA, and
both positions are close to my heart and helped me find my
passion. Enriching involvement is key.
