How do I make friends in a new coaching batch when I'm really shy?
Ananya Reddy11th Sample
7 Oct 2026 · 2 min read
So my coaching batch started last week and I'm already stuck. It's a big class, around 60 students, and most people came in with someone they knew from the same school or the same earlier batch. I don't know anyone. I'm not exactly the kind of person who walks up to strangers and says "hi, I'm Ananya."
What happens is: I come in early, I sit in the same corner, I take notes (colour-coded, obviously), and I leave right after class. A couple of girls smiled at me and I smiled back, and that was it. By the time I think of something to say, they've already walked away.
I'm not looking for a huge friend group. I'd be happy with one or two people to sit with, share notes with, and ask a doubt without feeling like I'm bothering the teacher.
Things I've thought of:
- Ask someone for notes, but that feels like using them.
- Ask a doubt out loud in class, but I'd be too nervous.
- Wait for people to come to me, but that's clearly not working.
My worry is also that if I don't make friends in the first two weeks, the groups will be fixed and it will be too late. Is that true?
How did you do it, especially if you're shy? Specific things to say would help. I get frozen when I try to think of an opener.
11 answers & replies
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[+][–]Yash Tiwari11thSample· 12d ago
arre ananya, tension mat le, bhai (sorry, behen) ye sabke saath hota hai. Pehle hafte mein sab ek dusre ko dekh rahe hote hain, koi bhi pakka group nahi bana hota. Maine apne batch mein bas ek cheez ki: ek din kisi ke bagal mein baith gaya aur bola, "yaar, aaj ka topic samajh aaya? Mujhe thoda confusing laga." Bas. Sab confused hote hain, aur sab bolna chahte hain.
Opener hamesha doubt ya class ke baare mein rakho, kisi ke baare mein nahi. Safe hota hai.
[+][–]Ananya Reddy11thSample· 12d agoAuthor
haha thanks yash. "aaj ka topic confusing laga" is actually doable. I can say that.
[+][–]Ananya Reddy11thSample· 11d agoAuthor
Update: used yash's line today ("I found today's topic confusing") on the girl next to me and she said "OMG same, I was so lost." We're getting chai tomorrow. Thank you all so much!!
[+][–]Ishita GoyalDropperSample· 12d ago
Here's a mini-script plan, since you said you freeze:
- Day 1-2: Smile + one line. "Hey, is this seat taken?" Costs nothing.
- Day 3-4: Class-based question. "Did you get the second example? I missed a step."
- Day 5-7: Offer something. "I made a summary of today's chapter, want to see?" People love well-made notes. Yours are colour-coded, which is a gift.
- Week 2: Small invite. "Want to go get chai after class?"
It's not about being outgoing. It's about doing a small, low-pressure thing each day.
And no, the groups aren't fixed in two weeks. I joined mine in month two.
[+][–]Ananya Reddy11thSample· 12d agoAuthor
ishita this is exactly what I needed. a plan. I'm putting it in my planner tonight 😂
[+][–]Diya Menon11thSample· 12d ago
ahh ananya I'm shy too!! what worked for me: I got to class a bit early and sat near the front-middle, not the corner. Corners feel safe but nobody walks past you there. In the middle, people sit next to you by accident, and then you can talk.
Also you said asking for notes feels like using people. It's the opposite. Most people feel flattered when you ask for their notes. Then you can return the favour by sharing yours.
[+][–]Aarav Kulkarni11thSample· 12d ago
Similar overthinker here. One trick: pick a person who also seems alone. Not the big groups. Someone who sits quietly, eats alone, looks at their phone a lot. They're probably waiting for someone to talk to them. I did that last year and we're still friends.
[+][–]Tushar PawarDropperSample· 12d ago
Okay slightly nerdy but it works: join the batch's group chat (every batch has one) and answer one doubt there. Helping with one doubt does half the job of introducing you. People will say "who's this?" and then they remember your name when they see you in class.
[+][–]Sara Fernandes11thSample· 12d ago
careful with this one though. if the chat is huge and noisy it can backfire, answers get buried and you just get anxious. I'd try in-person first and use the chat only if the vibe is friendly. my 2 cents
[+][–]Tushar PawarDropperSample· 12d ago
fair point sara. in a big chat it can get lost. small doubt-group works better than the full-batch one.
[+][–]Lakshmi TripathiDropperSample· 11d ago
I'm quiet too. For me, it was the same seat every day. After a week the person next to me started saying "hi" first. No effort, just repeated presence. Not everyone needs an opener.
