This is my first post, so here is a little bit of background information on me. Im 17 years old, average looking, 1.80m (metric system all day). I am a really social person, it is easy for me to get to know people and make new friends. I am really good at academics. I went to primary school at the age of 5 and then skipped one year. That means, I graduated high school with 16 went to uni right when I turned 17. I had no game at all in high school, which is mostly due to the fact that I was much younger than the girls I found interesting. I still looked like a kid when everybody else already looked like adults for years. I feel really weird around people in my age, because they seem immature to me. That's why I never tried anything with girls who are as old as I am: I talk to them and I simply do not like them.

At uni, people do not see me as a kid anymore, consequently my game improved. I had opportunities for a lot of make-outs and I guess a few hook-ups (like most people at uni) and I could have gone for something serious with two girls (HB8 and HB7, I guess), but I am only physically attracted to them and both are pretty needy. It is important to note that these girls like me because of social proof only. I am valedictorian and really popular. I never made any moves, so it is kind of random that they like me Also, I had a very bad case of one-itis (I managed to get really deep into the friendzone), but thanks to this subreddit I grew some balls, stopped putting her on a pedestal and moved on.

The reason why I want to do pick-up is the following: I am not interested in fucking girls I do not really connect with at all, so I thought it's best to try being friends with girls and if I develop feelings for them, I'll try to develop it into a relationship. This never worked and is, from what I read in this subreddit and from my experience, a really bad strategy. Consequently, I have to make clear that I want things to get physical earlier. Also, I never walk up to women I do not know, so my pool of women is really restricted. I had to work for everything I achieved in life so far, so why do I expect that meeting girls I like will just happen on its own?

Now the approach:

On the way to my internship, I see this really good looking girl in the bus every morning. I have AA and she wears earphones all the time, so I never find an opening. This one morning, I listen to a playlist, that always puts me in a good mood. I try to make eye-contact, which doesn't really work because she is staring out of the window. We get out of the bus at the same station. As she removes her earphones, I'm like "Fuck it, you have nothing to lose". This is my first approach ever and I am really nervous. I am really unlucky: The moment I walk towards her, she turns away, but not far enough to not realize that I approach her, which catches me off-guard and gives me time to hesitate for a bit. At that point, all my anxieties come back. She stares at me in expectation.

I say "Hi, I'm maadboi. I wanted to ask for your name." Worst. Sentence.Ever If you want to know her name, just ask for it. You do not need to explain what you are doing. She smiles awkwardly and answers: "I'm Sophia." I try to make eye contact but she avoids it. Still, I can tell she is flattered. Next thing I hear me mumble is: "I know that's pretty direct, isn't it?" She agrees. I ask, what she is doing and she explains that she is studying dental medicine. I mention a friend of mine who studies it as well in the same city and ask whether she knows him. She declines. All of her answers are really short. Eventually, she asks what I am doing. I respond that I moved to the north to study biochemistry, but that I came back home for an internship over the summer. I try to answer in a way that allows her to ask more questions, but she doesn't. Then, there is this horrible silence. I did not expect her to say nothing at all and I don't know what to say. It stays like this for the longest 5 to 10 seconds of my life. Eventually our ways part, and we both say bye.

What I did well: * I approached * I gave a long answer that contains more information about me

What I did poorly: * I made poor eye-contact. That was never a problem for me and I am really confused that I wasnt able to maintain eye-contact * My timing was bad, she turned around as I approached, so there was no momentum * I can only imagine how horrible my body language was, I did not offer a handshake * I did not keep the conversation going * I was very outcome-dependent * I mumbled, my voice was not confident

Conclusion: I am really happy that I approached. I was thinking about all sorts of scenarios that could happen if I approached before. It is a relief to get rid of those thoughts. Also, I am really happy with myself. Even though the interaction was horrible, I am much more confident now. I know that I am not a pussy and have the courage to do what I want. I do not really care what she thinks, because I will never see this girl again. I was really surprised about how easy it is to handle rejection - thinking about how the interaction looked like from a stranger's point of view made me laugh a lot. It was hilarious My question is: I really do not feel ready for daygame after this experience. Is there a way to improve in baby-steps or do I have to do loads of approaches now in order to improve?

I am sorry for the wall of text. I appreciate all sorts of advice and apologize for my bad english. It is not my native languange.