Improving Social Skills over Summer

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Hello WP,

For a little background, I'm currently a HS Senior and possible Aspie (I have gone over this in other threads, but regardless, my social skills could use work). I will be matriculating at Stanford this fall, which begins mid-September. This means I have a summer vacation of ~3 1/2 months. I have 3 main goals for the summer:

1. Get a part-time job (for self-satisfaction and resume building).
2. Improve my social skills
3. Learn a lot of programming (and possibly get my feet wet in data science)

So here's the point.

I'm thinking of ways to improve my social skills over the summer. I will be attending a lot of grad parties as a senior, so I will have a lot of practice in that aspect. But what are other easy, gradual ways to overcome my social anxiety and awkwardness?

You seem a studious and self-motivated sort, so I will share what has worked well for me in the past. That is, an Amazon query should provide a good selection of primers on conversational skills. Best wishes.

I wish i couldve gotten onto that as early as you

Get as social a job as you can hack, working for the best and most social bosses you can find.

For me, that's working in a restaurant/bar under very successful highly social management and owners. It'll kill two birds with one stone by providing you with Summer job income as well as advancing your social skills via both practice as well as coaching by management who's aim is for you to improve your ability to do your job.

But overall I've found that actually treating my AS symptoms (via diet/detox/probiotics) has improved my social skills tremendously by literally improving my brain functioning, which in turn makes social interactions much more fluid & intuitive vs. learned and intellectually processed when in full-Aspie mode. Feel free to pm me about this if you like.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

debra fine wrote a book on the art of conversation that i've used in my social work job.