Myering your briggs

Dear introverts,

For the longest time I didn’t know if I was one of you. Sitting in bed and watching depressing French movies is my favorite pastime, but I also love my weekly underground warehouse raves. I can smell the teen angst and vomit stank already. KIDDING. But I actually do enjoy going out on the weekends and meeting new people, too. So when I took a Myers-Briggs test earlier this week, I was determined to find out where I fell on the socialization spectrum. After 72 random questions and an advertisement for glutenfreesingles.com, I got my result: Introvert, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. INFJ. It’s pretty uncommon apparently -- more rare than a Tufts student who hasn’t called someone out on cultural appropriation, or even conforming to gender normativity. Anyway, this discovery has since made me be extra aware of the random experiences college brings on for introverts all over.

Many people, both extroverted and introverted, do not know what introversion really means. For example, at a frat party, it’s safe to assume that the room is probably fairly evenly split between both types of people, even though the environment is generally one of extroversion and intermingling. Introverts, contrary to popular belief, actually enjoy socialization and many stereotypically “extroverted” activities. The difference comes into the type and quality of the socialization and needing designated time alone.

Dining halls are a prime embodiment of the introvert struggle. At home, some special meals for me meant time alone where I could be a greasy glutton and enjoy whatever I was eating in peace. Every Friday was my designated Subway day, where I would order my chipotle chicken footlong on flatbread after cross-country practice and enjoy the hell out of it. Tears of joy and shame were commonly shed. Mostly shame. But if anyone interrupted my food date, bad things would happen. I threw a shoe at my sister once. Think George Bush in Iraq circa 2008. Many introverts can then attest to the struggle of college meals being a highly social activity, which is of course a very enjoyable experience and part of quintessential campus life. But every once in a while, when you’ve planned your solitary meal, another person wanting to join you can interrupt it. You can’t deny him at the risk of being rude, but your romantic meal in peace is now flawed.

Another problem is remembering names. Introverts tend to feel more disconnected in informal social situations according to Myers-Briggs ideology, making it harder to be engaged and recall information. It says small talk tends to be rather frustrating in the definition as well. I’m not sure how this applies to me personally overall, but it is definitely true when I’m meeting new people and remembering their names. Self-diagnosed dementia, really. I’ve had to create a special game in order to recall any sort of information, forcing myself to actively learn names. For example:

Gretchen, Pre-Med.

Gretchen Wieners from "Mean Girls" (2004).

Diarrhea in Barnes and Noble.

Chronic diarrhea is a medical condition.

Poopy doctor Gretchen.

As long as I can associate a name, major and somewhat disturbing fact, it works. Take note. I’ll never forget poopy Gretchen, that’s for sure.

Being in lectures can also cause issues. Naturally, introverts tend to enjoy having some empty space near them at all times, so being smack dab in the middle of a packed 400-person auditorium can be pretty irritating. Make sure you get to class early for that prime seating. This is a Southwest flight and you’re hauling for the aisle spot. While there are no sassy flight attendants and terrifying vacuum toilets in class, the same rules apply.

So while some college situations are wonky for introverts, it is a totally manageable circumstance with the right steps. And shoot, Netflix is always there for cheap therapy at the end of the day.