For an aspiring publicist, I’m a pretty awkward guy. However, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks to avoiding as many awkward social interactions as possible here at BU. Here’s a few that might help you out:
- Take the stairs as often as possible. It’s a proven fact that elevator rides are extremely awkward 99% of the time.
- Try to leave your dorm before the class change time. Here on campus, classes are let out 10 minutes before each hour and a massive crowd of students takes over Commonwealth Avenue heading to their next class. In order to avoid the huge crowd (and the huge potential for awkward social interactions), leave your dorm a little bit earlier.
- Always wear headphones while walking to class. That way you look busy and people will be less likely to come up and talk to you.
- When a professor is looking to call on someone for an answer in class, immediately put your head down. The first person who makes eye contact with the professor will be the person he or she calls on.
- Always have your cell phone easily accessible. When you’re walking down a hallway in the College of Arts and Sciences or when you’re just walking down Commonwealth Avenue, there’s an 85% chance that you will walk past that person that you met one time, but don’t remember their name and are unsure if you should say hello to them. Therefore, always have your cell phone nearby, so you can pretend to be texting someone instead of making eye contact with that person.
- A general rule: AVOID EYE CONTACT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!
- If you’re eating alone in the dining hall, bring a bunch of textbooks with you and spread them out over the table so you look extremely busy, even though we both know you’re not studying at all and you’re probably watching something on Netflix. Then, put your book bag and jacket on the chair across from you so it looks like you have friends.
Last but not least, don’t overthink things! People on campus are just as worried as you are, and most people are too busy to take notice of the small, weird things you do. If something awkward does happen, if you laugh it off, others will probably laugh too! Don’t sweat the small things, and be as friendly as possible. People are a lot nicer than you’d think!
