Search Results: keep things professional

So, I am acquiring a degree again as is required of many of us in today's modern work atmosphere, required to return to keep our skills up-to-date, let alone competitive.

I am short and I am told over and over again with no prompting that I look to be at oldest 23.

My 'question' :

I am taking classes that are 'lab's which require me to be on campus.

I am looking for commiseration and possible advice on how to deal with all my surrounding students who are going through what we all go through between ages 15 and 21.

I was not 'into' social competitiveness or random flirting when I was that age but it is a natural developmental stage.I just don't fit into that world . Now, midterm, I have a lot of young college kids thinking I am one of them , seeing me as unfriendly and a social reject because : I am not at any of the parties, I do not respond to flirtations with flirtation,I am of a lower seemingly unfriendly energy level than younger people ( this has always been a problem for me- 'quiet' is always reinterpreted as either 'scared' or 'scary' *sigh*) I do not text or talk about what they consider 'cool' ( which, ironically, is mostly retro stuff and remnants of my generation's fashions just um with a different 'spin' in the current youths' eyes).

When I was in school in my youth, we often criticized rude snobs only to discover they were older professionals and parents and we would slowly learn to recognize them as who they were without internalized intimidation or prejudice.

Again: I am taking classes that are 'lab's which require me to be on campus.

Of course, we all have negative traits and I could be imagining things but let's assume my problem is just exactly what I have written. I am not looking for suggestions that I may be wrong or over reacting ( I've seen that theme of insulting 'corrections' as an 'answer' to many posted GAG questions)

Any support or positive experiential hints would be appreciated.

I am not going to play out the plot of 'Never Been Kissed' :D

I want to be allowed to be and act my age.

Its added stress I don't have the ability to make a 'blanket' solution for and it is distracting in classes and in my commute, etc.

It's as bad as older people flirting with me, just in reverse on the number line :D