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7 simple ways to make friends at university
Let’s face it, leaving home and heading off to university can be daunting experience.
However, it’s a great opportunity to meet new people and have new experiences. And don’t worry, even if they don’t admit it, everyone else is probably feeling the same way too.
Here’s some hints and tips on how you can easily make friends at university.
Start the conversation
Look out for online groups for your university, course and halls of residence. Joining Facebook groups, commenting on relevant posts and starting conversations with other students can help you introduce yourself and get talking to people, especially if you’re a little shy. And while you’re not necessarily going to hit it off with everyone, seeing some familiar faces when you arrive on campus can help break the ice and get further conversations started.
Be neighbourly
You can create a welcoming atmosphere by keeping the door to your room open while you unpack – a doorstop comes in very handy for this. It makes it easier to introduce yourself when people walk by and you can offer to help these new flatmates move in. Having some biscuits in your room and offering to make a tea or coffee can help you bond with your new neighbours.
Make the most of freshers’ week
Freshers’ week has a huge variety of events to help students settle into university life as soon as possible. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet new people either on nights out, organised day trips or guided tours to explore the local area. Sign up to social groups linked to your interests and hobbies, or volunteer to help charities with fundraising events.
Ask lots of questions
Remember, people warm to people who take a genuine interest in them, so ask plenty of questions, rather than just talking about yourself. Be social too by introducing people to others you’ve already met and bringing shyer people into the conversation.
Go to your course induction
Attending your course induction is a great way to make friends with people on your course. Ask to sit next to people in lectures so you can introduce yourself and discover what they’re looking forward to. Also, find out what your course mates are planning for their free periods and ask if you can join them or if they’d like to do something with you.
Join university societies
Check out the societies on offer and choose a few that interest you. There’s a lot of choice and it’s easy to meet different groups of people and have fun at the same time. Why not try a few taster sessions that you spot during freshers’ week? Opt for a few of your current interests or be more adventurous with a new hobby that you’ve always fancied trying.
Hang out in the common areas
While it’s tempting to stay in your room, spending plenty of time in the communal areas of your accommodation or university buildings is another way to bump into people and start conversations. Your accommodation provider may also have its own social calendar of events, such as movie and games nights, so put your name down and get involved.
Written by the Nurtur team