How do I overcome this shyness?
Dear Auntie Betty, I am a 15-year-old girl in junior high school Form Three. I am very shy and find it difficult socialising with my mates, especially the males.
I am preparing to write my Basic Education Certificate of Education (BECE) very soon. When I don’t understand anything, I feel shy to approach a teacher to ask for help.
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My friends tell me to muster courage and socialise but I find it difficult to do so. I don’t know what to do to overcome this shyness.
Rita, Swedru.
Dear Rita, You have to be confident and believe in yourself so that you can socialise with your friends. Since you are about to write the BECE, and it is very crucial for your future, you have to muster the courage and ask questions or approach your teacher if you have any difficulty. If you don’t do that, it can affect your examinations.
Your teachers are there to assist you so don’t hesitate to go to them if you need any assistance.
You can also get some of your mates who are very good to help you out but the best option is your teacher.
You just have to take that step and you’ll realise that it was not difficult after all.
Rita, you can also overcome this shyness by joining clubs in your school. If you have clubs such as the Junior Graphic Fan Club in your school, you can become a member so that you can discuss issues in the paper.
Read ahead of time and ask questions or make contributions during the club sessions and that will gradually boost your confidence
Never mind if you make a mistake once in a while. It is part of the learning process. Once you are able to do that if you are part of a smaller group, making contributions in a bigger group will not be difficult.
You can then socialise with your mates without any problem. You can start a conversation with them about a book you have read or any topical issue in the school. You will soon realise that you have overcome your shyness.