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Hey @JMMV2005 , thanks so much for your post on this.

It sounds really frustrating to be in this waiting period right now before the social skills group starts, and I can hear how difficult it is to feel stuck or stagnant

Thank you for opening up about your deep fear that things won't work out. That sounds frightening, and at the same time, really valid. Making friends can feel like such a vulnerable process sometimes! - beginning to let someone new get to know us, putting ourselves out there. I wonder where that fear comes from for you? What do you imagine might go 'wrong'? If it would feel helpful to talk more about that fear we'd love to listen.

For me personally, one piece of advice that has really helped me a lot when it comes to making friends is to try to 'focus more on being interested, rather than trying to be interesting'. I moved around schools a lot as a child so often had the experience of being the 'newbie' with no friends, and I found that rather than worrying about trying to be 'cool' or 'likeable', one of the best ways to make connections with other people was simply to be curious about them - to ask questions like, 'How's your day going?' or, 'Hey, what's your favourite subject at school?'. Even smiling at someone can be a great way to show them you're open to making a connection.

And another thing that really helped me make friends was to dare to be vulnerable. Whether that meant telling someone I was lost and didn't know how to get to the classroom, or saying, 'Hey, my name's Sian. It's my first day of school and I'm so nervous! Are you nervous too?' Being open and vulnerable with people helped to give them the chance to get to know me, and that ultimately brought us closer How does that sound?

I also just want to celebrate the fact that you're here on Community, making connections, sharing yourself in a really honest way, and allowing us to get to know you! Those are already such brilliant social skills and I totally agree with @Azziman that you're already making such a great start. I have every faith that you're going to create some really exciting friendships, and those people are going to be really lucky to know you

You've got this @JMMV2005 . We believe in you!

Hey @JMMV2005, we hear you. It sounds like you're feeling frustrated by having to wait for this taster day to start improving your social skills, and while a week doesn't sound too bad, having to wait for that time is definitely easier said than done when you're keen to get going!

I think you're right - being a little patient for this session is a good idea for now. Focusing on other things, a week will fly by! There are some online resources that are helpful on conversation, such as introducing yourself and how to open a conversation, if you're keen on reading ahead.

Let's first start by acknowledging that signing up to the taster session is a big step in the right direction, so you're definitely not being stagnant on your journey - the first step is often the hardest hurdle, well done for overcoming it! You're right, there are likely to be others on the course, and you'll all be there together because you want to improve social skills. In that way, there's already something that you have in common, and working and learning with others is a great way to get to know people and make friends!

I can hear how you're not sure on what comes next after this taster, and that's natural - you won't be the only one in that room who feels that way for sure. We don't often plan who we end up being friends with, after all! So enjoy the learning experience, get to know the people you're on the course with, practice the skills you pick up in other parts of life, and see where it takes you

I love the pet pics guys!
Shadow decided that he was going to try and eat some of my pancake yesterday very eventful lol

@JMMV2005 thats very cool I didn’t know that!

@JMMV2005 shes very pretty I love her eyes ❤️

@JMMV2005 so fluffy im dying I love cats sm ❤️‍🩹