Life is Hard for an Introvert - Chapter 3

As the semester progressed, I started to feel more comfortable on campus. I had made some friends in my classes and had joined the social justice club, but I was still struggling in one area – my grades.

I had always been a good student, but the classes at my new university were more challenging than I was used to. I decided to reach out to a few classmates and see if anyone wanted to form a study group.

To my surprise, a few people responded, and we agreed to meet up in the library on Saturday morning. I arrived a few minutes early and found a table in the back corner. One by one, my classmates trickled in and joined me at the table.

“Hey, Lily,” said a guy named Matt. “Thanks for setting this up. I could really use some help with this material.”

“Of course,” I said, smiling. “I’m struggling too, so I thought it would be helpful to work together.”

Over the next few hours, we worked through practice problems and quizzed each other on the material. It was tough, but we all helped each other out and explained concepts that we were struggling with.

As the study session was winding down, one of my classmates, Sarah, suggested that we all go grab lunch together.

“Great idea,” I said, relieved that the group seemed to be getting along. “Where do you guys want to go?”

We decided to go to a nearby café, and as we walked there, we chatted about our majors, hobbies, and interests outside of school. I learned that Matt was a computer science major who was really into video games, and Sarah was studying English and loved to write poetry.

As we sat down at a table and ordered our food, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. It was nice to be around people who were struggling with the same things I was, and who also wanted to make new friends.

After lunch, we walked back to the library together, and as we parted ways, we all agreed to meet up again next week for another study session.

Over the next few weeks, our study group grew and we started to bond over more than just schoolwork. We would often get together outside of class to grab coffee or hang out, and I started to feel like I had found my place on campus.

One day, as we were leaving the library after a particularly long study session, Matt turned to me and said, “You know, Lily, I’m really glad we started this study group. I feel like I’ve made some really great friends, and I don’t think I would have survived this class without you guys.”

I smiled, feeling grateful for the connections I had made. “Yeah, me too, Matt. It’s been really helpful and it’s nice to have a group of people who understand what I’m going through.”

As we said our goodbyes and headed off in different directions, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I had come to this new university not knowing anyone, but I had managed to find a group of friends who supported me and helped me succeed.