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Mapler
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21 Sep 2009, 11:21 pm

For AVID class (don't ask why I'm enrolled in it, my grades don't suck). Everyone tells me I need to do some extracurricular to get accepted in a good college. However, due to my Social Anxiety I can't bring myself to join one. Currently, I'm praying that my teacher forgets that I still need to join a club. What kinds of clubs don't require a lot of social interaction? We have many college-themed clubs, cooking, anime, *sports don't count nor are an option for me lol*.



CanadianRose
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21 Sep 2009, 11:27 pm

I would need to see a list of the clubs that your school (or community) offers.

Also, what kind of skills can you bring to any club that does not involve socializing. Perhaps you can help a club with its newsletter or keep stats or something. Perhaps there is a library club where you can help volunteer by shelving the books. Is there a science based club or math club (where you can help with the set up of labs or the administration of math contests?).

I don't know if any of these particular ideas help - but, like I said, share some of your interests and the clubs that are available and I might be able to suggest something more specific for you.



Mapler
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21 Sep 2009, 11:29 pm

Hmmmmm... I am thinking of Spanish club. You don't socialize in English in that club. It's okay to be awkward trying to say stuff in Spanish. Plus, I am somewhat good at Spanish.



WoodenNickel
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22 Sep 2009, 6:09 pm

I joined clubs and the student government in college. I was easily elected to the student senate and was an officer in other clubs. I'm not sure how I did it: I was rather popular for an Aspie. Not that I'm out of college, I'm out of touch with almost everyone. :(


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aleclair
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23 Sep 2009, 7:56 pm

The unfortunate thing is that they're right: you are going to need clubs even for non-selective colleges. What is either the blessing or the curse is most school clubs are that they are big jokes, and absolutely nothing will happen.

I would pick an academic club if I absolutely had to, rather than a social club. Otherwise, check for clubs related to tangible activities (chess, board games, perhaps anime) - I have a feeling that the existence of some tangible item will lessen the premium on traditional social activity. The only club of that nature at my high school was a chess club, and I hated chess, so I would not know as a fact.

See if you can create your own club as well, or if it takes a lot of social initiation and is therefore futile.



Psygirl6
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24 Sep 2009, 5:02 am

I just joined student government. It is a great club to join because I get to be with all different kinds of people from different backgrounds. Plus, if you are a disability and/or any type of advocate, this would be a great club to join. Maybe you can help out anyone at your school that has the same issues as you, especially with school life, and advocate for them.
Also, my school has an Anime club, as well as a role playing game club, and other "cool" and aspie friendly clubs at my school. I do go to a Community College, but the work i have to do, especially Anatomy, is the same material and way they do things at a four year or even medical school.



ebec11
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24 Sep 2009, 7:55 pm

I'm having the same problem! My anxiety has been increasing a lot in the past couple years and it makes it really hard to be with people I don't know. I'm really not interested in any clubs either, and I usually work on homework during lunch so I don't want to join a club. I'm not sure what to say other then that, but if you can't do it, don't feel badly. If your marks are good enough, I'm sure you can get into University even without a club. Otherwise I'm doomed.



Mapler
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24 Sep 2009, 10:45 pm

ebec11 wrote:
I'm having the same problem! My anxiety has been increasing a lot in the past couple years and it makes it really hard to be with people I don't know. I'm really not interested in any clubs either, and I usually work on homework during lunch so I don't want to join a club. I'm not sure what to say other then that, but if you can't do it, don't feel badly. If your marks are good enough, I'm sure you can get into University even without a club. Otherwise I'm doomed.


Lol, I also work on homework during lunch. I am so dependant on the time I spend working on homework during lunch that I don't even do homework when I get home. I hope thats true about the University thing you said. I am forcing myself to suck it up and join Anime club anyway (I found this nice classmate I could join with).



Oregon
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25 Sep 2009, 12:00 am

Volunteer to improve the community. You don't have to be social & it looks great on your application. Pulling invasive plants, planting trees, cleaning up garbage. Building homes.. Habitat for humanity needs help (http://www.habitat.org/). Volunteers of America could use help (http://www.voa.org/)

Humane Society needs help walking dogs & cleaning kennels (http://www.hsus.org/).

Even if your volunteer effort is just stuffing envelopes in the privacy of your bedroom, it still counts.



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26 Sep 2009, 7:35 pm

the university I went to had absolutely no requirement of that sort.



Sapphires
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30 Sep 2009, 5:53 am

There's a club at my school where you can do charity work outside of school during the allocated club time. I volunteered for UNICEF and SPCA, and all that was required of me was to count money and address letters. It's also not a very popular option, with the few members being very quiet and courteous themselves.



elderwanda
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01 Oct 2009, 4:21 pm

If you can bring yourself to face your social anxiety, little by little, it will help. I wish I'd understood that at your age. If you need to interact with people, but it makes you feel terribly nervous, please know that those feelings won't hurt you. You might feel shaky and nauseated, with a lump in your throat, or whatever it is that you feel, but do it anyway. Just a little bit out of your comfort zone each time. After a while, it'll get better, but you have to get through that discomfort. It took me decades to learn that if you avoid the things that scare you, it gets worse, and you end up being limited by the fear.



astaut
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01 Oct 2009, 10:51 pm

I was in Beta club and I had to do no socializing. I didn't know what I was signing up for, I just did it. All the members were called into the gym and they told us something to do-like operation Christmas child, or bringing canned food to school-and we brought our things to school and that was all.

But overcoming some social anxiety now will help a lot in the long run. I had a tad bit of social anxiety but I think I outgrew it for the most part.



princesseli
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04 Oct 2009, 1:43 pm

I used to have a lot of anxiety with joining a club then I just joined one and well hated them. Seriouly from my experiance, so many clubs are disorganized and have meetings like once a month. So I'd say find a club that interests you. If it dosent then just find a club with at least you have some remote interest sit in on the once a month meeting and your a member. You dont have to participate in the activities if you dont want to. A lot of clubs only have a few a semester. Then you can put on your college transcript that you were part of this and that club. Trust me: its really not a big deal.

But as for other options for extracurricular can be doing community service, doing a sport, playing an instrument, working a job, participating in whatever. Though most of these activitys might require more social interaction then a club. Joining a club is the easiest way to strenthen your college app. Just my opinion.



trekster
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05 Oct 2009, 12:33 pm

Mapler wrote:
Hmmmmm... I am thinking of Spanish club. You don't socialize in English in that club. It's okay to be awkward trying to say stuff in Spanish. Plus, I am somewhat good at Spanish.


Thats an excellent idea, also i think it helps with brain power in other areas learning or expanding on another language.


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