“I quickly discovered how completely inept I was at following group conversations, especially in a noisy room. Try as I might, I simply couldn’t decode the mélange of voices around me. No sooner did I latch onto half a sentence when another would float by, catching my ear and rendering the first one null and void. This would go on until I was so frustrated that I’d leave. Back in my room, I’d feel lonely, but at least the confusing cacophony was silenced.”