I am critical of myself regarding my interpersonal skills. I often feel like my interactions are awkward and even though that may not be true, the awkwardness that I feel goes on to affect my perception of myself. Sometimes in class, I feel like I am too eager to speak up or contribute. There’s some ingrained idea in my mind that I shouldn’t be over eager or too quick to share. It’s possible this is some ingrained sexism which makes me think I should be hesitant and meek. Or possibly it’s leftover from childhood bullying. In middle school, I learned to be quiet and blend in so as to avoid teasing. I think that every time I speak up, there’s some part of me that worries I’m being too loud or conspicuous. However, I am working on it and I hope that eventually, I won’t feel so uneasy when I assert myself both in the classroom and eventually, in the workplace.