[Anonymous]

I'm 17 and in college, and I'm having trouble making friends because I'm not outgoing and tend to be quiet. How do I become more outgoing and approachable or social?

[KnapAttackUK]

I made sure I spoke to people in a way that I was comfortable with. When you're a football fan, you're going to be more outgoing talking about the Premier League than the politics of Nepal.

Sounds stupid, but it worked for me

[hakking]

Smile

[jellybean_]

Just get out more I think the easiest way to do this is to get a job. It forces you to become more confident really, and to talk to more people. Gradually it will raise your confidence and you will make new friends! I also suggest joining after college clubs or outside school clubs.. zumba is fun :P

[The Dark Lord]

Make friends with people similar to you and then go out with those friends from time to time - the rest will come naturally

[swiftylol]

Speak to everyone, and try to be more social in general. Get rid of any social anxiety and just speak to as many people as you can as much as you can, people that are around you that is.

[darthgirlie]

I was in a similar situation to you when i was in college. The biggest thing i learnt was to become really smiley, sounds completely stupid but if you stand up kinda straight and smile at someone and then they smile back, its a lot easier to strike up a conversation and the anxiety just seems to fade, and you'll feel like you can relax a bit more.

[xWebber]

If your in college get involved with what everyone is doing on your course.

[najinaji]

I know it's difficult OP, but don't think you have to be like everyone else. There's a difference between being lonely and being scared that people will judge you for being an introvert.

[owen1994]

(Original post by Anonymous)
I'm 17 and in college, and I'm having trouble making friends because I'm not outgoing and tend to be quiet. How do I become more outgoing and approachable or social?

Don't force yourself to talk to people though. As mentioned above the main ways to be more sociable, meet new people and get more friends is by the following:

- Get a job - Increases confidence + new friends - Job is also topic of conversation
- Start to watch football / go to stadium (if you can afford to), this will mean you have a very useful popular topic of conversation to talk about.

- Go to gigs (obv you have to find people to go with first) but 17year olds always talk about gigs.
- Go to the GYM!!! - If you go to the gym and gain some weight, people will notice, they will bring the conversation to you. "Hey Anon your looking bigger, you been working out?" and you reply, "Yeah bitch, just busting the twenty kgs out".

- Going to the gym is obviously going to make you more approachable as well, especially if your going from skinny to bulk. Girls hate to talk to scrawny people (I was once scrawny)

- Go to revision lessons (even if you don't need to) - Ask the retards if they need help and tutor them. (Not sure if you wanna associate yourself with the idiots though, some of them are cool however)