Need a lil Social help

skywalker66

Banned
Nov 5, 2001
695
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Alright, so here's the situation:

I currently have no life.
Right now I'm 19 and am taking classes at a 2 year community college, some generals, before i move to a real 4 year school next year.
The thing that sucks is that my friends in high school who i'd still want to hang around with are off at other colleges, so basically i have nobody to hang around with at all.

Now i figured going to a community college wouldnt really change much, and i was right. Most ppl here hang with kids they either knew from high school, or church youth groups, etc.
This is my first semester here (spring). This fall I started going to a four year school, but had to back out due to major anxiety problems.

To add to my dillema of not having a life right now:

The other problem is that I still havent gotten a part time job yet, and I have virtually no hobbies because I have a problem with sitting around and wasting all my time (I know, I'm working on this). But heck, as you can imagine, having no hobbies makes it hard to relate to people.
And having no stronghold as friends makes it hard to make new friends, starting from scratch absolutely blows.

Now because I'm not the typically partier, weed smokin, drunk gettin, girl playin' kind of person, finding cool people to be around becomes a little more of a challenge.
I seriously want to find some friends who are more the church type, and all that, and unfortunately I don't have any of those right now as I didn't make them inside the youth group i was in, during high school.


Anyways, now to the actual scenario:

At this community school during the lunch hour, i've been sitting at this table, because this really cute and God loving girl, sits there who is in my physics class, but there's a disadvantage:
A former friend from high school who stopped hangin out with me and acted too good for me, and hung out with his church friends instead, is also sitting there, his name is John,
and with him is sitting many of his church friends.

This girl in my geology class who sits there (her name's katie) has a friend, another hot girl named Emily, who knows some these church friends. heh, and i think emily is even hooking up with one of them, but thats kind of another story.

Anyways, they are kinda growing a little bit of a new clique, and meanwhile I've been kinda sitting around and doing the best i can to make an effort to kinda fix things with my old friend, meet his church friends, and also get to know this girl,
and i've been trying hard to try but not make it look like im trying too hard, its tricky.

Meanwhile no success. Like they don't invite me along with any of the stuff that they do by themselves. Like concerts they go to, or skiing trips, etc. (wish i knew how to ski!!) It's funny, it didn't take them long to get to know each other (which happened before i started sitting there, within about 3 weeks i think) but for some reason when i'm sitting there, its like they wont even give me the time of day!

I mean I'm seriously trying my best to be social and open without making myself look too desperate or like im trying too hard.

but it's been a few weeks and i havent gotten anywhere! It's like these people hardly even notice me!
The only thing that me and my old friend got in common is that we both have the same English teacher in one of our classes.


Anyways this blows. If you made it this far reading all of the post, i would like to congratulate you for your dilligence,
and if you have any advice to give me here, it would be very well appreciated!!
 

godmare

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2002
5,121
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I'll just start, sfter reading the whole post, by throwing out that one of my best friends went way out of state for college and lives over 1000 miles away.
 

NewSc2

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2002
3,325
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Join some clubs?

You have to push yourself to do this stuff too, anything we say won't help. From personal experience, just keep looking for friends and keep yourself open and you should find them. There's always a few of those more friendlier open people out there that will invite you anywhere.

Also, starting up some hobbies and getting a job wouldn't hurt. If you get to know 1 person pretty well, then you open yourself up to his friends and acquaintances which open you up to even more people. Meeting that first person is hard sometimes, but like I said, get a hobby - i've met several people from playing Warcraft 3 and Counterstrike; or getting a job with other students is always a plus.
 

skywalker66

Banned
Nov 5, 2001
695
0
0
NewSC2,

I agree that joining clubs is a good idea. I guess what i am more curious about is where to look. There really isnt much at my community college. The one club I'd maybe want to attend takes place during one of my classes. Where else can you look to find clubs outside of college ones?
I'm definately up for doing it however. I'm doing some stuff within the church, im just wondering if there's anything else out there.


I'm on the job process. I've turned in a bunch of applications (around 10) about a week ago, and I am waiting for some replies. None yet. :(

I agree that I definately need to find some hobbies thoguh. That is probably the most important thing i need to work on, because without interests its hard to relate.

So how'd you meet these people that played warcraft 3 and counterstrike?
 

notfred

Lifer
Feb 12, 2001
38,241
4
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All this crap with the girl is jsut a manifestatino of the same larger problem that you barely touched on when you said "but had to back out due to major anxiety problems."


What anxiety problems?
 

Dragnov

Diamond Member
Apr 24, 2001
6,878
0
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Bah, here I was enjoying reading about a loser geek and then it turns into a YAGT. Bah! :p
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,256
406
126
fvck church. smoke weed and get wasted on the weekends. works for someone i know.
 

skywalker66

Banned
Nov 5, 2001
695
0
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notfred,

yes, the anxiety problems are definately apart of my life. I didnt go into detail because I believe I am finally working around them (where as last fall I was having a lot more trouble).

The anxiety problem (also kind of an obsessive thinking problem) is that basically I have a tendency to think about things, figure things out, and when I cant I get really worried. I'm actually someone who worries about things a fair amount. For example, i've had times where I've questioned whether this world was predestination or free-will, and felt like i couldnt go on until i figured that out, and would sit around thinking about it for hours (soudns silly huh?)
bottom line is that a lot of my time can be easily wasted by philosphizing (althoguh that is getting better). Another problem that I sometimes have is social anxiety. but thankfully that doesnt occur as often. The issue is that I will either say too little or too much, but thankfully I've been able to handle that a lot better too right now. I'm on meds and seeking counseling right now and I think its working pretty well.

anyways, as you can imagine last fall when I moved into a totally new environment (small town out in the middle of nowhere) for college, that put me into a bit of a shell shock, with all the stress.

so thats why I came back home after 2 months.

so there it is. that is kind of what got me into this mess of being at a community school for the time being. Fortunately I'm recovering from a lot of the obsessive thinking and anxiety problems though,
i guess the question is how to get back on your feet when you are starting from scratch.
 

yobarman

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
11,642
1
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damn after reading that post it makes me happy i have a lot of friends.

i'm sorry but i don't see how people can be in your late teens and not be able to make friends? there's so many opportunities out there it's not even funny. just last night, after an awesome BBQ with lots of Bud over my friends house, i came home and had a smoke. there were some kids playing Asshole a couple houses over so i just went over. i kicked there asses and won their respect haha. anyways... itll prolly get better once you go to a 4-year school. do you hit the gym at all? it can improve your self esteem and physical appearance, and you can meet a lot of people with a common ground.
 

jaeger66

Banned
Jan 1, 2001
3,852
0
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Originally posted by: yobarman
damn after reading that post it makes me happy i have a lot of friends.

And after reading your post, I'm glad I don't associate with people like you. I'm sure you'e genuinely happy, but what sane person would want to trade brains with you?
 

Spac3d

Banned
Jul 3, 2001
6,651
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Originally posted by: jaeger66
Originally posted by: yobarman
damn after reading that post it makes me happy i have a lot of friends.

And after reading your post, I'm glad I don't associate with people like you. I'm sure you'e genuinely happy, but what sane person would want to trade brains with you?

What are you talking about? He is having a good college experience.

skywalker66, sorry I don't really have anything to add, but good luck to you.
 

LeStEr

Diamond Member
Dec 28, 1999
3,412
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Originally posted by: americangigolo
fvck church. smoke weed and get wasted on the weekends. works for someone i know.

:D Seriously though you will meet lots of people if you go out on the weekends and party.
 

jaeger66

Banned
Jan 1, 2001
3,852
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Originally posted by: Spac3d


What are you talking about? He is having a good college experience.

The last thing people with mental disorders like general anxiety need is substance abuse.

 

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
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im glad i like interacting with people on a social level so little that i cant give you any advice

at most ive only ever been able to stand a handful of people that ive known, and never all together, but i get annoyed very easily and the larger the group of people, the more annoying they become

well...that and my wife contols me (j/k)

you could get some magic powers and go kinda Carrie-in-a-guy-way and destroy everyone until they get the point, but magic powers are expensive :(

maybe you could volunteer coach teeball for kids...just for something to do, trying to get to know kids in that age group will probably get you arrested

unless youre michael jackson

i wandered off, sorry
 

yobarman

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
11,642
1
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Originally posted by: jaeger66
Originally posted by: Spac3d


What are you talking about? He is having a good college experience.

The last thing people with mental disorders like general anxiety need is substance abuse.

Well i don't have anxiety disorder or anything so i'll abuse all the substances i want. as a matter or fact i am having a good college experience, which is especially hard to do because of the college of go to is a nerdy tech school
 

jaeger66

Banned
Jan 1, 2001
3,852
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Originally posted by: yobarman


Well i don't have anxiety disorder or anything so i'll abuse all the substances i want. as a matter or fact i am having a good college experience, which is especially hard to do because of the college of go to is a nerdy tech school

Try and keep up. The original poster said he has anxiety.
 

Spac3d

Banned
Jul 3, 2001
6,651
1
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Originally posted by: jaeger66
Originally posted by: Spac3d


What are you talking about? He is having a good college experience.

The last thing people with mental disorders like general anxiety need is substance abuse.

I never said skywalker66 should be involved with substance abuse, I was just saying yobarman is enjoying college, leave him alone.
 

bleeb

Lifer
Feb 3, 2000
10,868
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Start kickin it at the local strip clubs and pool joints. From the wise words of Bone, "get high, get high, get high". Tupac - "Get money, make money." Dr Dre - "fvck the POE-LEECE"
 

jaeger66

Banned
Jan 1, 2001
3,852
0
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Originally posted by: Spac3d

I never said skywalker66 should be involved with substance abuse, I was just saying yobarman is enjoying college, leave him alone.

You mean like this experience:

/Another time... well this isn't really a weird story so much as a funny story. We were driving back from somewhere heading to our favorite pub, it was night time and what not and my friend saw 4 asian ladies walking on the side of the road... i had no idea what he was doing at the time, but he suddenly slammed on his horn then veered towards them. i swear to god the expression on their faces had me laughing like i never laughed before in my life. One woman almost sh¡t a brick, another dove out the way....my god it was hil frickin larious.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=38&threadid=979798

So no, I will not leave people like that alone.

 

FuZoR

Diamond Member
Sep 22, 2001
4,422
1
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I'm in the same boat...

Old friends i use to hang with left while i stayed cause of my crappy HS grades bleh. We hang out but only during breaks and whatnot.

I'm making the best of it, I know a few acquaintances here and there but nothing really solid with anyone... community college really doesn?t have a "social" atmosphere, many just come to school, go to class and then go home with their own lives.

eh beats me. I try not to think about how unproductive my life is :)
 

Konigin

Platinum Member
Jan 21, 2003
2,358
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Go to church, get involved in a sport and join a community team. Volunteer with a charity, join a group that you believe in the common cause.

Oh and lose those people from school, they won't be the last ones. They have made it plain that your not part of the group, you DON't want to be a follower = not a good relationship (with anyone).

With the social anxiety problems, I used to be really bad at doing the most basic stuff, like talking to people. All I can say is don't act scared, be a good listener, and act like you have all the confidence in the world (even if you don't). And remember, practice makes perfect. A good book to read is this one which is not only awsome but very funny.

Hope this helps!

I might add that I was a homeschooled student with no social life, to a public high school student who has many friends and a member of 5 school clubs one of which I was elected vice president of. I know your in college, but I'm just trying to give an example.
 

yobarman

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
11,642
1
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Originally posted by: jaeger66
Originally posted by: Spac3d

I never said skywalker66 should be involved with substance abuse, I was just saying yobarman is enjoying college, leave him alone.

You mean like this experience:

/Another time... well this isn't really a weird story so much as a funny story. We were driving back from somewhere heading to our favorite pub, it was night time and what not and my friend saw 4 asian ladies walking on the side of the road... i had no idea what he was doing at the time, but he suddenly slammed on his horn then veered towards them. i swear to god the expression on their faces had me laughing like i never laughed before in my life. One woman almost sh¡t a brick, another dove out the way....my god it was hil frickin larious.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=38&threadid=979798

So no, I will not leave people like that alone.


Haha good call, but we weren't drunk or anything at the time.. you just had to be there, but im not gonna explain myself anymore than i did in that thread.
 

skywalker66

Banned
Nov 5, 2001
695
0
0
i want to thank everybody for the replies i've gotten thus far,

i've posted this on like four boards, and i've gotten so much advice back i dont know what to do with it all, lol.

I think everything is going to be okay from here on out, I've documented everybody's ideas/opinions and will be applying some of it. i hope all goes well.


to answer a few peoples suggestions:

yobarman, yes, working out at the gym is actually one of the few hobbies i have, lol. I agree that it does a lot of good for one's self. I think my issue with the women doesnt have so much to do with lacking in appearances, but rather that i just need to learn how to make friends with some girls, and people in general! heheheh.

Yea, im more worried about friends right now actually than women and stuff like that. the girl in the story probably isnt as important as i made her out to be, i dont even know her that well.


And for the record, I will not resort to partying in order to make friends. It is just not me. A lot of that behavior just doesn't go with my beliefs and values. One of the things I always here is to 'be yourself' and if I was at parties and smoked it up, got drunk, or hung out with people who did those things, it just wouldn't be me at all.