Nobody understands the real me

They even make fun of me when I'm not among them. I don't know how to change their perception but at the same time, I wonder if I'll ever be a ‘cool' girl like most of the others are in our college. I wish that somebody would understand the real me - who is not as boring as others have assumed of me.
- Gausi

Illustration/ Satish Acharya

Dear Gausi
You are what you make of yourself. People develop this image of you on the basis of what they see. But what are you doing to change the perception of the people around you? You need to make an effort too. May be you are shy and unassuming and feel uncomfortable in front of others. Or may be you can't muster up the courage to face people for fear of rejection. Just be yourself and make the most of the given moment. By nature some are shy and some are talkative. You obviously belong to the former category. Some people prefer to be alone and can live without company, others crave for company. If you want to be cool, make an effort to be part of them. Make a beginning, it will be uncomfortable initially but once you are part of them, you will be comfortable and will no longer be labelled as boring.u00a0