Hi. This is my first time posting here because I took a long break from school and haven't really had this problem. Also, last time I was attending classes, it was for my adult education. Therefore, the class was very different. Less people, less pressure put on me to speak up in class, and less lectures. So, less anxiety over all.

I have never been formally diagnosed with any social disorder or any form of social anxiety. But I suppose I'll give a bit of background history regardless. I hate the term shy. People coined that term when referring to me as a child. To me, it always implied that I was timid and that I may not have wanted to interact with people for that reason. Which I never felt was right. I want to interact with people. I merely do not know how. As a kid, I was always... well, other kids would refer to me as strange. I didn't know how to interact. How to socialize. So, I would do so in my own way. Which was very off putting to some. As a pre-teen/teenager it was much the same way. I never knew how to respond to their emotions, never knew when it was my turn to speak, never grasped when I should stop speaking, or when it was okay to laugh at a joke or stop laughing at a joke. Socially, I never found my place.

As an adult, I have not grown out of this. It has been a lifelong thing and it had interfered with my ability to work and attend classes for a very long time. I'm afraid to because I simply do not know how to interact. This causes me some anxiety and some distress. I become very aware of my surroundings. Very aware of the other students and what they're doing, who's looking at me, etc.

I tried to get as many online courses as I could. I managed to snag online courses for English, French, and Sociology. So most of my classes this semester will be in an online setting. However, Psychology 150 (the class I need to take to go down my desired path) is in a classroom setting. English and French started, too. Soc is in October. So far, Psychology has caused me the most stress. Which is strange since it is, by far, my favorite subject and I am simply ecstatic about taking it.

I want to be comfortable in class. I just don't know how. I would like to hear from others attending in school courses in college (or perhaps even from high school students) with a problem similar to mine and if they've found a way to manage it. Something that helps. I don't want to drop the course and just take it online next semester. i want to finish it this time around so I can take the next Psych course next semester and Philosophy, too (as it's a pre-requisite for both of them). Has anyone here had experience discussing this kind of thing with a school counselor? Sorry for the long post. Online, it's easier to say what is on your mind. There are less restraints. Less uncertainties. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any advice.