Meeting People in Small Classes

[tearsplash]

I am a sophomore in college and I am in a history seminar course with 13 students. There are a few of the girls I'd be interested in chatting it up with before or after class and seeing how it goes from there. The problem is that it looks like everyone else decided to take the class with friends, and accordingly there are a couple of well-defined groups of close friends and then there's me. It seems like there's a junior clique and a senior clique, and as the only sophomore I'm alone at the moment. In other words, I'll have to find my way into one of those groups in order to meet any of the people -- it's not like a big lecture class where you can just start talking to someone. Any suggestions for how to get into a pre-existing group?

[Palmer of the Turks]

Why don't you just try the same tactics you would use if it was 13 random people. Find one of the girls you want to talk to, and just start chatting her up when she's alone, even if only for a moment.

Surely, even though like, 6 of them are a friend group, not all 6 arrive at once or leave together.

I had a somewhat similar situation... 13 people in the class. And I'm the ONLY male present.
But one of the girls I was interested in was one of the last leaving after class... and soi it was just me and her in the room, and I looked at her and said "wanna chat a bit after class?"

By friday, we were a couple. Even though I was very much an outsider, I caught one of them when they were alone, and it went from there.

[tearsplash]

Palmer, thanks for your suggestion, but the thing is, there's really no time when any of these people are alone. They all sort of leave in a group, and I have another class in the same building right afterwards, so I can't leave with them. Given that it seems pretty impossible to break the group apart, any advice on how I can try to put myself into the group as it stands?

[HurleyGirlie]

My high school was very clique-y...if a person from one clique wanted to hang out with a different clique you almost needed an invitation to be included in anything. So I'd say keep being nice to everyone and they may start including you in outside of class activities.

I had a class that was all Early Childhood Education majors...and then there was me: culinary arts student. Yeah, that was weird because they were all friends and knew each other, but we got along.

[Anthropolemic]

In this situation I'd search for common ground. Your common ground here is that history class, so start out with study groups and work your way from there. It's not a bad way to meet girls at all, and at the very least gets your foot in the door.

[Palmer of the Turks]

Ask one of them if you can study/go over homework/whatever after class.

Do they all ARRIVE together? If not, then undoubtedly some of them arrive before others, and thus you can get a word in then.

[tearsplash]

Sorry, there was pertinent information I didn't provide. In this class, the only assignments are papers (no exams), so there's nothing to have a study group for. And there simply is no time when any of the people are alone. When I said that I needed to try to break into one group or another, I said that because I'd exhausted all alternatives. Any advice strictly on that question?

[Fun Lovin' Criminal]

I would just approach the group and introduce myself to everyone, in one go. Although, you should have done that in the first class.

[tearsplash]

They know who I am, and I know who they are. I DID do that in the first class. But it's one thing to know each other's names and a few random facts and quite another to be good friends. Is that so hard for you people to grasp?

[Fun Lovin' Criminal]

If you know their names what the hell is the problem? "Hi, Sonso"

[meeso]

There are a few of the girls I'd be interested in chatting it up with before or after class and seeing how it goes from there.

How bad do you want it? Sometimes it takes a little creativity to get to talk with girls.. I always lead in a hard-to-reach girl situation with a joke.. They are usually lame, but it gets a laugh and that's all I need to get started.. something like: (And I've used this before and it worked so don't laugh ;)

*Walks up to girl*

Me: Hey, I'm Chris.
Her: Umm. hey, I'm *name* (looking confused)
Me: *Saving myself from a very awkward situation* "Well, that's all I've come up with so far on my very own pickup line. I think it needs a little work, but it has potential"

Ok so it sounds a little gay, but whatever works to get a smile/laugh and you're in. BE CREATIVE, and remember if you lead off with a joke like something similar to that you'll be more relaxed. You don't want to walk up shakling like a shaggy dog.

But it's one thing to know each other's names and a few random facts and quite another to be good friends. Is that so hard for you people to grasp?

Bottom Line: You can't be a pussy. Look between your legs and realize your balls, albeit small as they may be, supposedly helps remind you that you are a man.

Secondly, don't be an ass in your responses or you'll piss people off and get no advise. And no, it's not hard for us to understand. What's hard for us to understand is what the real problem is. You're shy?