The Student Room Group

Any tips for improving myself???

Ok, so I'm in my second year at college and I was just looking at my friends my space pages from secondary school.. I was reading some of their comments and they all seem to have moved and and they all seem so interesting now and have grown up from 2 or 3 years ago. i feel as if I'm just stuck as a 16 year old girl who hasn't had any life experience and who is till sooooo boring!(im 18 by the way) I don't feel as though I am very good company. I want to experience life, I want to be more interesting, I want to be able to hold a conversation with people for hours on end, without any dull or awkward pauses (which tends to happen alot with my friends at college :frown: . But how??? Can anyone help, i'm bordering on the edge of DESPERATION! thank you guys...

Scroll to see replies

Get out more :p: meet new people, get pissed with your college mates, just relax and have a laugh!
Reply 2
Thanks...any more tips out there???
Reply 3
Try not to compare yourself to your friends - it sounds like you've all had very different experiences :smile: and remember, you're only 18 - you have uni to come, which will be GREAT!

Chillax :smile:

Rosi xx
Reply 4
Maybe you could do some volunteering?? In your local area, or if you have spare time over the summer - go abroad or something...
Join societies..
Start some evening classes, maybe learn a new language so you can do some more travelling...
Try a new sport...
Get a part time job....
Reply 5
EvilSheep
Maybe you could do some volunteering?? In your local area, or if you have spare time over the summer - go abroad or something...
Join societies..
Start some evening classes, maybe learn a new language so you can do some more travelling...
Try a new sport...
Get a part time job....


Agreed:smile:
due to reasons out of my control I had to have a gap year when I left school so I did the Princes Trust 12 week self-development course and for the rest of the year I volunteered full time in a charity shop. That doesn't sound very exciting but it was life-changing for me, it gave me alot of confidence and gave me the motivation to want to succeed in life, in contrast to the attitude I had at school where I didn't care and never worked hard.

When I was at college, I worked extremely hard and also volunteered with the police and learn to drive and then when I came to uni, I continued volunteering in various other places. Last summer I lived and worked in America all summer at Disneyworld and this summer I'm doing a Tallships Youth Trust voyage/Race in Norway.

The point I'm trying to make is, these things don't just come out of thin air, you have to build up to them gradually and as each experience passes you by, you will grow more stronger and be more able to deal with the next experience that comes along plus it opens doors for you that previously weren't there. In the short term, set yourself small targets to work towards and commit yourself to achieving them and then think of the bigger picture and what you want to do in the long-term. You may find that your ambitions change as you go along and lear more. The only person in the driving seat is you, you can have all the ideas in the world but you need to be the one to act upon them.

Your age doesn't matter, not alot of people have done many things at your age and when you consider that some people in their 70s graduate with degrees and skydive e.t.c. you really do have all the time in the world.
Reply 7
Go travelling!

And make sure you do interesting things and have stories to tell!
Reply 8
britishseapower
due to reasons out of my control I had to have a gap year when I left school so I did the Princes Trust 12 week self-development course and for the rest of the year I volunteered full time in a charity shop. That doesn't sound very exciting but it was life-changing for me, it gave me alot of confidence and gave me the motivation to want to succeed in life, in contrast to the attitude I had at school where I didn't care and never worked hard.

When I was at college, I worked extremely hard and also volunteered with the police and learn to drive and then when I came to uni, I continued volunteering in various other places. Last summer I lived and worked in America all summer at Disneyworld and this summer I'm doing a Tallships Youth Trust voyage/Race in Norway.

The point I'm trying to make is, these things don't just come out of thin air, you have to build up to them gradually and as each experience passes you by, you will grow more stronger and be more able to deal with the next experience that comes along plus it opens doors for you that previously weren't there. In the short term, set yourself small targets to work towards and commit yourself to achieving them and then think of the bigger picture and what you want to do in the long-term. You may find that your ambitions change as you go along and lear more. The only person in the driving seat is you, you can have all the ideas in the world but you need to be the one to act upon them.

Your age doesn't matter, not alot of people have done many things at your age and when you consider that some people in their 70s graduate with degrees and skydive e.t.c. you really do have all the time in the world.


Norway all the way!!! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

No, seriously, I was just gonna say that it was a good post.. Had to do some self-promotion though.. (or country promotion as it is.. )
Regarding the awkward pauses in conversations, I'm exactly like you. I wouldn't say it's hell but it is uncomfortable. I tend to bully pauses with random jokes and just talk about anything that comes to mind. The more things you talk about, the more time it takes up. Don't restict your conversations to certain things.

You say you have friends, you're obviously not anti-social. But maybe organise nights out etc with them, experiences that you can later talk about later. Eh, I dunno..
EvilSheep
Norway all the way!!! :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

No, seriously, I was just gonna say that it was a good post.. Had to do some self-promotion though.. (or country promotion as it is.. )

No way, I'm actually going to Bergen! I think I'm sailing from there to Maloy or it might be the other way around!
Reply 11
Måløy... lol

I've been to Måløy many times, have family around there.. It's quite pretty :smile:
EvilSheep
Måløy... lol

I've been to Måløy many times, have family around there.. It's quite pretty :smile:

I'm looking forward to it as I've never been before, I've heard it's pretty cold? do you have any tips for my visit? albeit I won't be on land for that long as I will be at sea mostly but I need to fly to Norway first and then fly back.
Reply 13
In the summer it won't be too bad, around 20ish if you're lucky.. Are you flying to and from Bergen?

Tips, well, depends for what really.. lol

Don't buy alcohol... If you need it, buy it at the tax free before you leave Britain... Euhm.. I think it's easier if you ask specific questions!
EvilSheep
In the summer it won't be too bad, around 20ish if you're lucky.. Are you flying to and from Bergen?

Tips, well, depends for what really.. lol

Don't buy alcohol... If you need it, buy it at the tax free before you leave Britain... Euhm.. I think it's easier if you ask specific questions!

I've just checked and I'm sailing from Maloy (I don't know how to do it the way you did it short of copying and pasting-is it a keyboard setting?) to Bergen so I imagine I will fly to Maloy, sail to Bergen and then fly from Bergen to the UK. There is a firm that does all the flight organising for you but I don't have the money for the flights at the minute so I don't quite know how it works.

Just general tips really like do I need to watch my back? or be aware of any dangers? (you can tell I don't alot about Norway) Roughly, how far is Maloy from Bergen? I can find Bergen on the map but I can't find Maloy
Reply 15
britishseapower
I've just checked and I'm sailing from Maloy (I don't know how to do it the way you did it short of copying and pasting-is it a keyboard setting?) to Bergen so I imagine I will fly to Maloy, sail to Bergen and then fly from Bergen to the UK. There is a firm that does all the flight organising for you but I don't have the money for the flights at the minute so I don't quite know how it works.

Just general tips really like do I need to watch my back? or be aware of any dangers? (you can tell I don't alot about Norway) Roughly, how far is Maloy from Bergen? I can find Bergen on the map but I can't find Maloy



(Our summerhouse is where it says Nordfjord, at the end of the word :biggrin:)
I don't think there's an airport in Måløy (and yes, I have them on my keyboard, they are separate letters, along with æ..) I think the closest one is Sogndal.. But I'm guessing you would have to go through Bergen.. Cos Sogndal is a very little town..

Norway in general is very safe. I know many people who never lock their doors and stuff.. It's a lot safer than the uk, as are the other Scandinavian countries... To drive I think it's like 5-6 hrs... Roads are not very good.. or - they are good, but there's a lot of mountains you need to go through and over...
Take the time to thing about the things you have done. Seriously, actually spend 10 or 15 minutes and right them down. You'll probably realise they're more interesting than you first thought if you think about them critically. You just don't see them as interesting because you did them, the stuff other people have done has a bit of mystery about it since you aren't familiar with it. It's more a problem of perception than any real disparity.

And if you want something you can do to make you happier and improve yourself, it's very simple: exercise.
steelmole

And if you want something you can do to make you happier and improve yourself, it's very simple: exercise.

I can't emphasise that enough myself, as part of my new years resolutions I've quit drinking (temporarily, I love it too much to give up for good!), gone on a diet and joined the gym and I'm feeling miles better than I normally do in January.
EvilSheep

(Our summerhouse is where it says Nordfjord, at the end of the word :biggrin:)
I don't think there's an airport in Måløy (and yes, I have them on my keyboard, they are separate letters, along with æ..) I think the closest one is Sogndal.. But I'm guessing you would have to go through Bergen.. Cos Sogndal is a very little town..

Norway in general is very safe. I know many people who never lock their doors and stuff.. It's a lot safer than the uk, as are the other Scandinavian countries... To drive I think it's like 5-6 hrs... Roads are not very good.. or - they are good, but there's a lot of mountains you need to go through and over...

The picture didn't load but thanks for the advice anyway! I look forward to visiting your country.
Reply 19
britishseapower
The picture didn't load but thanks for the advice anyway! I look forward to visiting your country.

Damn... Anytime :smile: Just PM me if there's anything you want to know!!! And do tell how it all goes!