How learning about the science of shyness helped me

I’ve managed to conquer my fears and build great friendships

On the day I received an offer from my first-choice university, I expected to feel elation and excitement. I had spent years preparing for this moment, and yet when it came, I felt only dread at the thought of freshers’ week and all the social challenges this would inevitably involve.

I had always been something of a shrinking violet and the fact that I now had a close group of friends at school did not helped to assuagemy social anxiety. I assumed this was a stroke of extreme good luck – a one-off. The potential for rejection seemed immense, and I feared I would spend the next few years in loneliness.