This is a big problem for me. I've realized half my conversation is usually about my family, because I don't get out much. I have friends who think it's funny to hear about my mom being ridiculously overprotective, or my dad doing something completely embarrassing, or what I'm fighting with my sister about, or funny/scandalous stories about my crazy relatives - but I've definitely noticed it turns some people off. When i take that part of the conversation away, I'm left with complete awkward silence, and if I have too much awkward silence, I start rambling - on my first date with a guy, I for some reason told him about my mom breaking her teeth and wearing silver caps in high school - that's how rambly I get. I try to bring up politics, but a lot of people I know don't follow it, or one guy in particular I always debate with online so when we hang out the politics and entertainment arenas are covered. I'll ask what they're doing this week, how's work, whether theyre looking forward to sophomore year, if they like their roommate, etc, but after asking 15 questions that only have 2 or 3 minute answers in a row, I start to look weird. Or I turn everything back on myself - they say something about their classes and I can't think of anything good to say, so I just talk about my classes, and it makes me sound really arrogant when I'm actually just desperate. I don't do a lot of socializing so I don't have any crazy stories to tell, and end up just retelling stories about my best friend and her idiocy with guys over and over again. I'll blurt out secrets I'm supposed to be keeping when it gets too silent - it's terrible! The silence makes me so nervous and stupid. Or I'll go on about the cute things the kids say at camp, which most guys don't want to hear. I'm just so bad at it and I always feel like an idiot after hanging out with someone who I don't see on a weekly basis.