Collaborative learning (CL) has become increasingly prevalent throughout all disciplines in higher education, but these types of situations may prove challenging for quiet students who may prefer more independent learning. This study used a series of interviews with and reflections from 10 quiet students while they were undergoing CL to better understand their thoughts, feelings and perceptions in regard to their own learning. This study found four themes: (1) experiencing negative emotions, (2) performing sociality, (3) feeling reluctant to share and (4) situations and structures for successful learning. This study found that quiet students experienced several communication tensions during CL situations, including tensions between speaking and silence, engaging and disengaging and belonging and isolation. This study suggests that managing the tensions underlying group communication may be particularly challenging for quiet students, an area which may require further attention from educators wishing to use CL techniques in the higher education classroom.