Anyone else struggle after transferring in?
I’m a 25-year-old transfer student and Navy veteran who just completed his first semester at Purdue, and I’ve been struggling socially way more than I expected. I can function fine academically/work wise, but socially I feel really behind compared to everyone around me.
I go out and try to put myself in situations where I can meet people, but I often freeze up in social settings and overthink everything. I feel like everyone else understands social cues and connection naturally while I’m manually trying to figure it out.
I think part of the issue is that I spent my early 20s in a very different environment than most college students, and now I feel out of sync socially and emotionally. It also doesn't help that I had no connection to Indiana or Purdue before I came here. I want real friendships and connection, but I end up feeling isolated after interactions and wondering what im doing wrong. Any advice for the fall? I also will be staying in Lafayette over the summer.