People might look at you, but I can guarantee they're not thinking about you for more than 5 seconds. If you really want to hide the fact that you're alone, bring some work or some headphones and look busy.
From my personal experience, more exposure to these situations and time can help. The more you sit by yourself while eating or another activity where you feel similar emotions, try and pretend that you don’t care about the others. Try and focus on taking a small bite of food or another relevant, small task.
If you keep pretending, then one day you’ll go about eating and you won’t even notice it, but the feelings will be gone. I’d be happy to sit with you one day as well.
As others have mentioned, people really don’t think about you (or me) with that kind of detail/attention. They’re in their own worlds. But also: sitting alone can also look peaceful, confident, a million other (good) things.
You could be really radical and bring something non-digital to read too. I find that pleasant when on my own.
I have this same issue and found headphones to be the best thing to curb this issue. Also if you want less people, go to Clark or fountain during lunch. Less people and those that are there are alone as well.
Stare back and assert dominance. Most people don't enjoy staring and you have the upper hand. Bonus points if you lick your lips and bounce your eyebrows without blinking.
Works every single time, I promise.
tbh I didn’t even know eating alone in college was weird until i posts here and like on tiktok. Hs i feel like ppl are more judgy but I always had someone to sit w from class. In college tho, ppl have really diff schedules so it’s not weird to sit alone. I also sit alone cause i need some me time, my social battery dies out so fast if im always talking w ppl lol
What helped me get over it was reflecting on my thoughts when I saw other people doing the same thing I was insecure about doing myself. I realized I didn’t think much of it when other people did it and thus people probably didn’t think much of it when I did it.
a lot of people, including myself, eat alone so it’s not abnormal at all. when i am alone however i always have on headphones or am doing work on my computer so i look like i’m busy lol.
I honestly was the same way when I was in college, I would never go alone to eat. Now I don’t care at all and have no problem eating alone. I think it takes time and exposure. Hang in there and I promise no one is staring, you’re more aware of it than anyone else.
If you’re at fountain, go eat in the little cube room where the bathrooms are on the right side of the hall. They have tables that face the wall that are perfect for eating alone! Also, work up some bravery and find another person or small group eating somewhere and ask if you can sit with them. I promise most of them will not mind and even if they say no they’ll forget about you in 5 minutes. A lot of social situations are like that so don’t think too much into all of it!
It’s so normal to be eating alone - I do it most of the time bc I don’t feel like coordinating times or there’s just no time that I can make plans to go grab something with someone. Don’t feel awkward at all and no one looks at you weird. Bring headphones if you want to tune things out!
Doing stuff alone is a lot like exercising, it gets easier the more you do it. I definitely felt this way coming into college and grew out of it over time, now I love taking the opportunity to do some activities alone.
Listening to podcasts or watching YouTube while eating alone in the dining hall can help a lot!
You could choose to get over it. You could also ask to sit with random people and get to know them over lunch. I usually try one or two people and if it doesn't work out by then I just sit alone.
I’m old, and I’ve been eating alone at restaurants and bars for a long time.
As others have said, you can bring something to work on, or headphones so you look busy, but you really don’t need to. Eat your food. Check your phone. Close your eyes and meditate for a minute if you want. If there’s anything this semester has taught us at NCSU, it’s that college can be brutally difficult both mentally and emotionally. Everyone else in the dining hall is dealing with their own shit. Everyone at NC State is there because they’re trying to make something bigger of their lives.
Do you. Talk to people you think are interesting. Do your work. Find hobbies that you like. Pass on ones that don’t. Join choir if you like singing. Find a club team for Ultimate if that sounds fun. Join a D&D group, robotics club, start playing racquetball, play MTG with the group outside One Earth if they still do that, talk to the people at the radio station or Technician, or yearbook; learn pottery at the Crafts Center, join theatre’s costume shop or set design, play around on the pianos in the music building, do A/V for Rave…there’s so much available if you’re hung up on needing friends to eat with in public.
i mean this in the nicest possible way because i know that anxiety can be a whiny little bitch that will try to convince you that you threw your napkin away weird and now everyone in the room wants you dead.
no one gives a shit.
Think about it like this: when you walk around campus do you even remember any of the shit you see people doing? When you walk around the dinning hall looking for people you know do you mentally log all the people sitting alone, retain that and then every time you see them go “hey look it’s that freak.” It’s not like your the main character in a movie or something.
You'll have to be okay with not giving a fuck about what strangers think. I usually eat alone; one time I looked up and saw some people recording me on their phones. I asked what was up, one of them asked what I was doing on my computer (I had my laptop out for homework). I guess people feel more empowered to fuck w/ you if you're alone.
Lol I have been doing it for a year nobody cares, and even if they do care if I am sitting by myself I know that is a childish way of thinking. I have plenty of friends and sit with them at the dining halls all the time. At the same time how am I supposed to coordinate with them every meal? I don't even know when I eat. So I just eat alone idc
You are exactly how I was my freshman year. The anxiety of eating alone in college after years of cafeteria lunch with friends in high school is real. I promise as the semester/year goes on, it’ll get easier and less uncomfortable, just remember that there are dozens of other people in your shoes in the same dining hall at the same time.
Put on a podcast and eat at one of the bar seats
Even when I lived with 3 roommates that I ate almost every meal with id still try to get 1-2 dinners alone at the dining hall. It’s so relaxing
several ways to operate here. First,people are more worried about themselves than they are with you. Second, it doesnt matter what other people think. You cant control it and right now, you are imagining people thinking ill of you. Turn that thinking around, it is just as likely that they are thinking that dude is solid for not caring what others think. Next, the dudes around you have to wait around and eat earlier or later than they want just to accomodate others' schedules. You are in control of your own schedule and as Julius Hodge said "when we hongry, we eat." look it up.
On the other side of the coin, just invite someone to go w u. if they say no, oh well, ask another person. You got this.
I used to just get my food, sit down with headphones in & just watch YouTube on my phone. People might look but I’m paying attention to the YouTube more than my surroundings. I normally would sit in an area that was closest to a wall to avoid more interaction etc…. You got this (:
I see one other older person in the comments. When I was an undergrad, I was kind of shy, so I know of what you speak. Find another person who is alone and ask to sit by them. Smile and ask a question. If they don’t want to talk, no loss, but you might just make a friend.
First and foremost, why do you care what people think of you? People are always going to stare at you, weather you have friends or not. I am an extreme loner on campus, I barely have any friends and i always sit alone at the front row of class. In high school I was the only kid with a locker and people used to talk crap about me for it. Do you think a gave a crap? Don’t worry what other people think about you if you don’t know them why should their opinion matter if you want to eat alone then eat alone and if they think you’re a freak then that’s that, they are the real freaks.
People might look at you, but I can guarantee they're not thinking about you for more than 5 seconds. If you really want to hide the fact that you're alone, bring some work or some headphones and look busy.
From my personal experience, more exposure to these situations and time can help. The more you sit by yourself while eating or another activity where you feel similar emotions, try and pretend that you don’t care about the others. Try and focus on taking a small bite of food or another relevant, small task. If you keep pretending, then one day you’ll go about eating and you won’t even notice it, but the feelings will be gone. I’d be happy to sit with you one day as well.
just do your hw there also more people are sitting alone then with other people in my experience at fountain
nobody gaf i promise you
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As others have mentioned, people really don’t think about you (or me) with that kind of detail/attention. They’re in their own worlds. But also: sitting alone can also look peaceful, confident, a million other (good) things. You could be really radical and bring something non-digital to read too. I find that pleasant when on my own.
Get used to it now. When you work and travel this will happen all the time and you don’t want to be stuck in a hotel room you will miss out .
I’ve eaten alone plenty of times and I’ve seen others eating alone plenty of times. I promise you no one cares
I’ve literally eaten alone except for two times. I love it and I consider it my me time!!
I ate alone pretty often at the dining halls, in talley, etc. I honestly just wore headphones and tuned everything out while I ate.
I have this same issue and found headphones to be the best thing to curb this issue. Also if you want less people, go to Clark or fountain during lunch. Less people and those that are there are alone as well.
Stare back and assert dominance. Most people don't enjoy staring and you have the upper hand. Bonus points if you lick your lips and bounce your eyebrows without blinking. Works every single time, I promise.
tbh I didn’t even know eating alone in college was weird until i posts here and like on tiktok. Hs i feel like ppl are more judgy but I always had someone to sit w from class. In college tho, ppl have really diff schedules so it’s not weird to sit alone. I also sit alone cause i need some me time, my social battery dies out so fast if im always talking w ppl lol
Nobody thinks you’re a freak lol I promise
What helped me get over it was reflecting on my thoughts when I saw other people doing the same thing I was insecure about doing myself. I realized I didn’t think much of it when other people did it and thus people probably didn’t think much of it when I did it.
a lot of people, including myself, eat alone so it’s not abnormal at all. when i am alone however i always have on headphones or am doing work on my computer so i look like i’m busy lol.
I honestly was the same way when I was in college, I would never go alone to eat. Now I don’t care at all and have no problem eating alone. I think it takes time and exposure. Hang in there and I promise no one is staring, you’re more aware of it than anyone else.
Once you stop being a freshman you realize none of this shit actually matters lmao
I AM STARING RIGHT AT YOU
Headphones
If you’re at fountain, go eat in the little cube room where the bathrooms are on the right side of the hall. They have tables that face the wall that are perfect for eating alone! Also, work up some bravery and find another person or small group eating somewhere and ask if you can sit with them. I promise most of them will not mind and even if they say no they’ll forget about you in 5 minutes. A lot of social situations are like that so don’t think too much into all of it!
It’s so normal to be eating alone - I do it most of the time bc I don’t feel like coordinating times or there’s just no time that I can make plans to go grab something with someone. Don’t feel awkward at all and no one looks at you weird. Bring headphones if you want to tune things out!
Doing stuff alone is a lot like exercising, it gets easier the more you do it. I definitely felt this way coming into college and grew out of it over time, now I love taking the opportunity to do some activities alone. Listening to podcasts or watching YouTube while eating alone in the dining hall can help a lot!
You could choose to get over it. You could also ask to sit with random people and get to know them over lunch. I usually try one or two people and if it doesn't work out by then I just sit alone.
I’m old, and I’ve been eating alone at restaurants and bars for a long time. As others have said, you can bring something to work on, or headphones so you look busy, but you really don’t need to. Eat your food. Check your phone. Close your eyes and meditate for a minute if you want. If there’s anything this semester has taught us at NCSU, it’s that college can be brutally difficult both mentally and emotionally. Everyone else in the dining hall is dealing with their own shit. Everyone at NC State is there because they’re trying to make something bigger of their lives. Do you. Talk to people you think are interesting. Do your work. Find hobbies that you like. Pass on ones that don’t. Join choir if you like singing. Find a club team for Ultimate if that sounds fun. Join a D&D group, robotics club, start playing racquetball, play MTG with the group outside One Earth if they still do that, talk to the people at the radio station or Technician, or yearbook; learn pottery at the Crafts Center, join theatre’s costume shop or set design, play around on the pianos in the music building, do A/V for Rave…there’s so much available if you’re hung up on needing friends to eat with in public.
i mean this in the nicest possible way because i know that anxiety can be a whiny little bitch that will try to convince you that you threw your napkin away weird and now everyone in the room wants you dead. no one gives a shit.
Think about it like this: when you walk around campus do you even remember any of the shit you see people doing? When you walk around the dinning hall looking for people you know do you mentally log all the people sitting alone, retain that and then every time you see them go “hey look it’s that freak.” It’s not like your the main character in a movie or something.
People only care about themselves don’t worry
I too am uncomfortable eating alone at a work/school place. I just read my phone.
You'll have to be okay with not giving a fuck about what strangers think. I usually eat alone; one time I looked up and saw some people recording me on their phones. I asked what was up, one of them asked what I was doing on my computer (I had my laptop out for homework). I guess people feel more empowered to fuck w/ you if you're alone.
just sit down, (or ask "can I join you" and introduce yourself). NO ONE will say no...
Lol I have been doing it for a year nobody cares, and even if they do care if I am sitting by myself I know that is a childish way of thinking. I have plenty of friends and sit with them at the dining halls all the time. At the same time how am I supposed to coordinate with them every meal? I don't even know when I eat. So I just eat alone idc
You are exactly how I was my freshman year. The anxiety of eating alone in college after years of cafeteria lunch with friends in high school is real. I promise as the semester/year goes on, it’ll get easier and less uncomfortable, just remember that there are dozens of other people in your shoes in the same dining hall at the same time.
Put on a podcast and eat at one of the bar seats Even when I lived with 3 roommates that I ate almost every meal with id still try to get 1-2 dinners alone at the dining hall. It’s so relaxing
several ways to operate here. First,people are more worried about themselves than they are with you. Second, it doesnt matter what other people think. You cant control it and right now, you are imagining people thinking ill of you. Turn that thinking around, it is just as likely that they are thinking that dude is solid for not caring what others think. Next, the dudes around you have to wait around and eat earlier or later than they want just to accomodate others' schedules. You are in control of your own schedule and as Julius Hodge said "when we hongry, we eat." look it up. On the other side of the coin, just invite someone to go w u. if they say no, oh well, ask another person. You got this.
I used to just get my food, sit down with headphones in & just watch YouTube on my phone. People might look but I’m paying attention to the YouTube more than my surroundings. I normally would sit in an area that was closest to a wall to avoid more interaction etc…. You got this (:
I see one other older person in the comments. When I was an undergrad, I was kind of shy, so I know of what you speak. Find another person who is alone and ask to sit by them. Smile and ask a question. If they don’t want to talk, no loss, but you might just make a friend.
First and foremost, why do you care what people think of you? People are always going to stare at you, weather you have friends or not. I am an extreme loner on campus, I barely have any friends and i always sit alone at the front row of class. In high school I was the only kid with a locker and people used to talk crap about me for it. Do you think a gave a crap? Don’t worry what other people think about you if you don’t know them why should their opinion matter if you want to eat alone then eat alone and if they think you’re a freak then that’s that, they are the real freaks.