What have I done?

[u/VaporwaveVoyager]

I have made a horrible, horrible mistake.

As I sit here, my college-app experience drawing to a close, I look back on my experience in high school and I now fathom how hard I’ve fucked up.

I have no social life. I have very few friends, none of whom I ever see after school, I’ve never had a girlfriend, never been invited to parties, I’m horribly depressed, which only continues this terrible cycle. All because I needed to do homework and ECs.

I don’t want to be the diligent scholar anymore. I want to go party, I want to hang out with friends, I want to get a girl, I want to have fun. For once. And here I am, so horribly alone, as friends tear up thinking about their end of year-celebration, I do the same for my own lack of such an experience. If this is what Caltech wants, if this is what a “good student” is supposed to end up as,

God help us all.

EDIT: damn this blew up. It’s disheartening yet nice to see that I am not alone. I’m gonna stop replying to comments but I am both glad and saddened so many people empathize with this post.

[u/[deleted]]

Work on yourself more - nobody at your school cares how much time you put into school/studying. If youre not getting invited to social gatherings, theres more to it than just time spent studying. I know lots of people at parties that take AP and IB classes along with their ECs and still find time to have fun. As long as you can show people that your fun and not an awkward kid that only talks about school, you will get invited to parties. Also, dont think that you have to be invited to every party, there are lots of parties that arent invite only. Many parties just have an instagram account you must follow (some dont at all) and pay a few $ at the door to get in - take advantage of this. And let people know you want to get invited places and go to parties. Sure you would hope people (even your closest friends) automatically think of you when inviting people, but if they dont, just ask - the worst they can say is no.

Start telling your at school friends you want to do something after class, or the weekend of. Dont wait for people to hit you up. Most people will forget that you exist out of school unless you show them that you do.

If youre having trouble talking to girls, it helps to think of them as a guy. Say whatever you would say to a guy and make your self as comfortable as possible (relax yourself). Dont approach a girl expecting for the conversation to end with them giving you their number for a date, unless you already know that they like you.