I Learned to Smile Through Gritted Teeth

It’s weird how you remember the exact moment someone made you feel small. For me, it was a group project sophomore year. I’d pulled another all-nighter, running on vending machine coffee and the hope that maybe this time, I’d finally get it right. We’re sitting around the table, and I offer an idea—nothing groundbreaking, just something to keep us moving. One guy doesn’t even look up from his phone. He just laughs and says, “That’s… not helpful.” The others go quiet. My face burns. I want to disappear. I tell myself to brush it off, but it sticks. Every time I try to speak up after that, I hear his voice. I start second-guessing everything. I stop raising my hand in class. I start apologizing before I talk, just in case I’m annoying someone. People say you should be assertive, set boundaries, but no one tells you how hard it is to do that when you’re already running on empty. When you’re so tired of being the easy target that you just let it happen. I wish I could say I stood up for myself. I didn’t. I just learned to smile through gritted teeth and count the days until it was over. #Education #CampusConfessions #SocialAnxiety