Find me a student who enjoys introducing herself to the class, and I will give you a thousand dollars.
Find me an introverted student who enjoys this, and I will give you a million.
It’s become a joke in recent years: Teachers love to make you talk about yourself and introduce “fun facts” to the rest of the class, as though your life is actually of interest to your classmates. In actuality, many students have trouble speaking on the fly, preferring to express themselves in an environment where they are not being stared at by 50 to 100 dead-eyed strangers.
This is a symptom of a larger issue — academia is no friend to the introvert. At the university level, learning is not the only goal. Students are expected to participate by delivering excessively long presentations or working in groups of five or more. In life, we must work with others and step out of our comfort zones, but when a person’s grades are heavily influenced by his or her chattiness or friendliness, heavily introverted students might feel overwhelmed. Colleges are like that gross guy at the bar — they make people uncomfortable and run up a huge tab at the end of the day.
At four-year universities and community colleges, I’ve seen young people on the verge of shaking at the prospect of presenting before a class. I myself prefer not to give presentations, or lead discussions, though this preference has become increasingly insignificant, as I inch closer to obtaining my inevitably pointless degree.
In my experience, I have found small classes helpful in this area, as the students are less likely to be split into separate groups. This makes it easier for everyone to share their thoughts – the setting is intimate, less intimidating, and generally more supportive.
Still, the expectations placed on introverted students do not end at participation. Heavy emphasis is placed on clubs, Greek life, sports teams, and/or debate team membership. We’re encouraged to be social while maintaining good grades to renew academic scholarships the following term. There seems to be no end to the laundry list of personas we students are supposed to take on, which only makes things more difficult for those of us who prefer peace and quiet. Contrary to popular belief, some introverts aren’t shy but are rather deceptively outgoing. What they have in common is a need for privacy, time alone to recharge and regain energy.
When school is heavily focused on social club membership and Greek life, it can be challenging for introverted students to feel comfortable inside or outside of class. Their sanctuaries may take the form of dorm rooms, libraries, art studios, and university chapels. Students living on-campus are harder hit. The social buzz follows them to their own living rooms.
It’s unlikely that this heavily social aspect of learning is best suited to introverted learning styles. While some undoubtedly enjoy the social element of classroom politics, the strength of the introvert lies in his or her ability to be comfortable in silence and revel in that moment of intellectual respite.
Such a peaceful classroom likely does not exist in most American universities. However, perhaps some liberal arts college will surprise us. In the meantime, I remain skeptical.
Erin Ratigan is a senior journalism major at TCU and a regular freelancer for the Weekly. She is a fan of the Oxford comma.
