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A story about an international student struggling to form social relationships due to feeling burnt out from schoolwork.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"d295430f-4add-4ba4-9da8-0cb9f5022cb0"},"title":"The Social Caterpillar by Opeoluwa Mosuro"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

My two main problems that worked in sync were that I felt I was extremely slow in concluding assignments and the simple fact that I had time for little or no social interaction. As opposed to the social butterfly, I was terrible at networking and social dynamics. All these were brought into fruition due to the simple fact I placed too much emphasis on doing only actual school work. I am enrolled in an Analytics course, and as such majority of my assignments entailed either a lot of writing or coding, which would usually take a long time to complete. My problem here was that I usually took longer than the average time to complete my assignments. This usually left me with no time to unwind and form any sort of social relationships. I often found myself continuously feeling lonely and burnt out due to the amount of pressure I was continuously feeling. This problem became evident when I was forced to participate in group projects, whereby my social awkwardness became evident. I might have quite possibly been the best student in my group, with perhaps the best ideas, but my inability to function in that setting was a handicap. I continuously felt unsure of myself and would rather keep quiet than openly share my thoughts or ideas. As an international student, I cannot tell you how bad it feels to be alone in another country, away from your family, unsure about your every action, and thinking if it was worth it at all.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"b76c4652-1882-4243-8dd2-696cd23356e7"},"title":"The Wicked Problem"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

I cannot say for certainty that I have overcome my issues, but it has, over time, gotten better. And this started with me sending a cry for help mail to my course coordinator. I sent the mail at the point of one of my lowest lows where I felt I could not take it. The overwhelming amount of support I received from this man shocked me so much. He reminded me that I was doing excellently so far, and it was okay to self-doubt, as long as I did not allow it to affect my confidence. It was an incredible moment of upliftment to me, and it reminded me of who I was because I clearly could not recognize who I saw in the mirror anymore. Opening up to just one person gave me the much-needed encouragement I needed, and going forward, I have decided to strive to develop social relationships. I am incredibly thankful to that man, as he showed me that having a voice matters and constantly learning to be open to asking for help if needed. I am not there yet but working actively every day towards becoming that social butterfly.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"baa838da-fde9-42e8-af7a-8e0843c941ea"},"title":"Finding a Solution"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.<\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"f1b09aa4-14cb-4bbb-9669-e270363d0a5c"},"title":"Final Thoughts"},{"content":{"params":{"text":"

Mosuro, O. (2021, October 20). The Social Caterpillar<\/em>. Liberated Learners. <\/span>https:\/\/wicked.liberatedlearner.ca\/collaborator\/the-social-caterpillar\/<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n"},"library":"H5P.AdvancedText 1.1","metadata":{"contentType":"Text","license":"U","title":"Untitled Text"},"subContentId":"c67873c0-033c-40e9-ab00-c1bcaabfcab5"},"title":"APA Reference"}],"hTag":"h2"}

The Social Caterpillar

Liam Peart