Splash of the Titans banner image that has the Mr. Titan mascot in a wet suite and with a surfboard. EFSC logo on the surfboard and the background is water.

Build Your Confidence by Coming to Campus: Part 1

by · Published · Updated

I know what you’re thinking: How do I become more confident by going to college? Well, aside from investing in higher education (which is a confidence booster in itself), there are a lot of ways to build your social and emotional confidence by coming to campus. When I got to college, a whole new world opened up! It’s a great way to burst your delicately curated social bubble and create a new normal.

By acclimating to a new environment, you’ll change. By stepping foot into a place full of endless opportunities and new faces, you’ll grow your courage and self-assurance. College is where I learned how to approach anyone and how to make lasting connections with people I never thought I would be friends with. This three-part series of posts contains 10 tips I used to build confidence in my formative years. Implement them next time you’re in class, in line for Chick-fil-A or running errands out in the real world — you’ll find they really work!

Start a new hobby. One simple way to boost your confidence and general feeling of accomplishment is to master a new skill or hobby. I took piano last semester and was really nervous about it, but I slowly worked through each of the notes over time until my fingers finally went exactly where they were supposed to. Eventually, I came to live for the moments when I could sight-read a song that was harder than the last. It was concrete proof of my improvement — and an instant mood-booster! There’s no better feeling than working towards something and finally getting the hang of it. (And don’t even get me started on my film photography class, the best new hobby I’ve ever picked up.)

Have a new hobby in mind? Search the class schedule or visit an advisor to see if it’s offered at EFSC. Whether it’s weight lifting, ceramics, photography, piano, creative writing, acting, finance or something else, we have a ton of fun electives here. There’s nothing like the refreshing spark that comes from improving a new skill, and when you become your own hype man in the process, THAT equals self-confidence. 

Change the way you label yourself. If you’re not feeling confident, lie to yourself. Fake it until you make it. Tell yourself that you are confident, then approach people. If you can trick your mind into thinking you’re confident, you’ll start to act that way, which will cause other people to believe it. When others start to believe it, you will too.

Practice being charismatic and exuding outgoing, positive energy. Put yourself in a scenario you normally wouldn’t be caught dead in. Go out of your way to talk to someone you don’t know. Guess what? If it’s a random person, you won’t have to talk to them ever again (unless you want to), so why worry? Self-deception is not your truth. Your anxiety is lying to you, so don’t let it stop your progress. If you want to boost your confidence by meeting new people at EFSC, there are tons of clubs and organizations on all four campuses that will welcome you with open arms.

Talk to people. Get used to starting conversations with strangers, and it becomes easier over time. When you do something over and over, it eventually starts to feel commonplace, and you’ll wonder how it was ever nerve-racking to begin with — but it takes consistency. Start small. Strike up a conversation with a cashier at a grocery store or restaurant as they ring you up. It’s a quick interaction, since the conversation ends as soon as they’re done, but it will help you to build your confidence. I don’t even realize that I start these conversations with people now, because it’s become part of my routine. Odds are you won’t bother anyone — a lot of people don’t like to be the first to approach someone either!

Need a little help getting started? Try talking confidently in the mirror so you get used to making inviting and self-assured facial expressions. Listen to podcasts and try to adopt the speaker’s intonation. Practice small talk on the phone the next time you make a dentist appointment.

It can be scary to put yourself out there, but that’s the whole point. There’s nothing to lose, but there’s a whole world of self-development to gain — you just have to believe in yourself and go for it! Start with these three tips, and stay tuned for the next few posts in this series to learn even more.

Stephanie Stubbe
Latest posts by Stephanie Stubbe (see all)
Post Views: 1,021

Tags:

You may also like...