The beginning of a new academic year is a vital opportunity to forge new friendships and social connections, especially for those coming to Case Western Reserve University for the first time. But it’s also a good chance to think critically about our own personality and to help set the stage for all the dinners, parties and study sessions we’ll be a part of. Now, there’s all sorts of personality tests and typologies, but I’d like to focus on a specific and fundamental part of personality. Here’s a question you might’ve thought about before: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Framing the question like this is likely to make you think of an answer pretty quickly, but let’s take a step back and think about what exactly those terms refer to. People often describe introvertedness and extrovertedness as a “social battery”—does being with other people “energize” you or does it “drain” you? If you’re someone who loves hanging out with others and rarely feels comfortable alone, you’re an extrovert. Meanwhile, if you prefer to be alone and get exhausted when being with others, you’re introverted.

However, thinking of social personality as a binary between introvert and extrovert can be misleading or even harmful. The trouble with personality tests and types in general is that people like them. More specifically, people like having a box to put themselves in so much that it becomes a key part of their identity; it becomes a story that they tell themselves in order to drive their decisions. If you “know” that you’re an introvert, you may be more inclined to stay home instead of accepting an invitation from your friends or attending that club meeting. You’re not lazy or unwilling to push past minor social anxiety, you’re just introverted, right?

What most people who are familiar with the dichotomy don’t know is that the psychologist who coined the terms, Carl Jung, didn’t even think that everyone could be clearly separated into just one or the other. Instead, he thought that the majority of people are “ambiverts,” meaning that they have qualities of both personalities, and their affinity for social situations is context-dependent and varies over time.

What do I mean by “context-dependent”? Well, have you ever been at a family dinner that completely sapped your energy? A full night of smiling and nodding while relatives discuss events that happened before you were born is certainly not my idea of fun. In contrast, think of a time you were with friends doing something that you all love. Didn’t you feel energized and excited at the time? Clearly, you don’t suddenly become a person with a different personality when you meet your relatives for dinner. It’s just that the behavior of a person depends on whom they’re with and what they’re doing.

A person’s personality changes throughout their life. What if someone grows up in a household where children aren’t meant to be seen and heard? What would happen if they went to college away from home for the first time? Would they immediately take advantage of the opportunity to be as loud and outgoing as they want, or would they still hold a subconscious belief that their opinions aren’t important? If such a person discovered the term “introvert,” they may feel so relieved to find a label that they don’t explore new hobbies or make friends with different types of people.

Sure, it can be comforting to have a label, and the feeling that you know yourself can give you confidence. But moving past the rigid categories of introversion and extroversion can be a good thing as well. Doing so gives you a much more nuanced view of other people and helps you question why someone might be the way they are and whether they can change. And for you personally, leaving behind the dichotomy frees you to explore personality traits that you thought were off-limits: It means that someone who loves being in loud environments can become good at quietly and confidently taking exams if they practice. And it also means that someone who likes sitting at home alone reading a nice book can have a great time with friends if they find the right people and environment.

Socializing isn’t just an activity that you like or don’t like; it’s also a skill that can make or break your place in the world—the friendships and connections you make now will serve you for years or decades beyond college. But notice that I said “skill” and not “talent”; socializing is something that you get better at with practice, even if you find it uncomfortable now. And unlocking your inner ambivert is something that everyone can practice. Those who lean introverted can practice being with and talking to large, loud groups; and those who are on the extroverted side can practice a quiet, focused conversation. Part of what makes college so great is that it gives you an opportunity to meet new people and learn new facts and viewpoints about the world. So don’t rob yourself of one of the best skills that college helps you train—make an effort to attend that club meeting, that trip downtown or a game night at your friend’s dorm. Because when you’re done and your social battery is drained, the book you’ve been wanting to read will be so much better alongside the knowledge that you’ve expanded your comfort zone.