Don’t talk to strangers.”Practice makes perfect.” These two childhood phrases seem wholly unconnected, but recently, I discovered that they work well in conjunction with one another. Since I was little, I have clung tightly to the people I am familiar with and shied away from anyone who looked strange to me. When I came to Georgetown, however, I found that my shyness posed a problem: how was I supposed to branch out and learn the names of all these new faces if I’m so afraid of strangers? The only answer I could come up with was to practice introducing myself to people I didn’t know. Otherwise, I would never become better at a skill that is so important in building friendships and forming ties.

My parents are spending thousands of dollars, so that I may get the best education possible. During the first semester I actually felt that I was taking advantage of everything Georgetown had to offer. I was studying hard, I was slowly making friends and I was joining clubs that I interested me. But what I wasn’t doing was making an effort to get to know as many people as possible. I was shutting out some of the most intellectual, diverse group of kids just because I was reluctant to overcome my shyness.

One Friday night, my roommate invited me to a party with her and her boyfriend. At first, I hesitated. I knew that as soon as I saw the huge crowd in the house I would panic – instead of being the sociable person I am around my friends, I would be hiding in some corner, trying to subdue my shyness. I hesitated because I don’t do well with strangers. I don’t know how to act around them, I don’t know how to introduce myself, I don’t know how to make proper conversation. Maybe I don’t know how because I never took the time to practice.

Despite the fear I felt, my roommate managed to half-convince me to go out with her. I still had my doubts but before I knew what I was doing, I was dressed and out the door. My stomach was full of butterflies as we approached the house. I clung to my friend for comfort as we entered the packed room and I prayed that I would blend in successfully.

In that first hour, the night panned out according to how I had pictured it. I pressed myself against the wall half-hoping to become invisible. I tried to talk to my roommate just so I looked like I belonged. I tried standing there with a drink in my hand in an attempt to look cool. All that I managed however was to look extremely embarrassed – crossing and uncrossing my arms in an agitated manner – because I never learned the art of being comfortable with people I don’t know. I always envied my younger brother because he could speak to the random people at airports or restaurants or playgrounds, while I was always the observer, watching people from afar. Perhaps I took the childhood advice of “don’t talk to strangers” to an extreme.

Yet I realized that as the night wore on, there were all of these Georgetown students standing before me and I didn’t know any of their names. I had an opportunity to diversify my circle of friends, and I was throwing it away because I was so painfully shy. So I took a deep breath and did my best. I started talking to one of my roommate’s friends. I started dancing. I started to relax and have a good time. I met more and more people and by the end, the butterflies in my stomach had disappeared.

College isn’t just about studying; it’s about meeting new people and forming new ties. While studying came easy for me, it was creating new friends out of strangers that scared me and still does scare me. But from that night, I learned the only way I would become better at meeting people was if I practiced. One doesn’t become better at the piano by leaving it in the family room to collect dust. Likewise, one doesn’t become better at making friends by ignoring them.

Georgetown is a wonderful university, but it is not buildings alone that make the school. I can enrich my experience so much more by meeting the students that give the college I love its charm.