When I joined my high school's competitive debate team, observing others and following established routines helped me feel more comfortable and confident in this new, intimidating space. On my first day, I sat quietly on the sidelines, watching how veteran debaters set up their note cards, greeted opponents with a firm handshake, and took turns speaking without interrupting. I copied their routine of arriving 10 minutes early to set up my materials and reviewing debate structure flashcards while waiting for practice to start, which made me feel less like an outsider and more like a contributing member. After a week of mirroring these small, consistent actions, I stopped fidgeting during my first practice debate and even managed to refute an opponent’s point clearly, something I never would have done if I hadn’t learned the unspoken rules by watching others. Over time, these routines became second nature, and I no longer felt the need to just observe—instead, I started sharing my own strategies with new team members. This experience taught me that observing others and following routines is a gentle, effective way to ease into any new situation.