College is a great time of self-discovery, allowing you to learn what interests you and where your passions lie. It’s also a great time to make friends.
I know most people say this, but my closest friends are the ones I made in college; we still hang out to this day.
If you’re like me, it can be hard to make college friends, especially if you’re a freshman or started at a new college. Luckily, there are some easy and fun tips you can take to start forging friendships today:
1. Spend time with your roommate.
If you live on or off campus with a roommate, that’s a perfect time to get to know who you’re staying with for the next semester. It’s natural to feel awkward when talking with new people.Bbut you can start with classes and talk about majors, what interests them, and why they chose this college. Just let the conversation flow naturally. And who knows what will happen? You’ll make a friend or learn something new about your roommate, which is always interesting!
2. Hang out with classmates.
When I was taking only my major classes during my junior and senior years, I ran into a lot of the same classmates who were in the same major, and I found I had a lot in common with several of them! Today, I’m still connected with many of them and make time to meet up. But even before you’re in your major, who’s to say you can’t befriend your classmates? Sometimes being nearby helps you make friends with the person sitting next to you, much like having a coworker a few desks across from you.
Strike up a conversation with your classmate before or after class, or see if your schedules align so you can hang out afterward. Or schedule a time for you both to meet for lunch. You never know what’ll happen!
3. Work on campus.
Much like working in the “real world,” many people find that they befriend their coworkers or at least get to know them better due to their proximity. And with on-campus jobs, particularly student jobs, you’re likely to meet fellow students! Like with majors and classes, you can start discussing what made them interested in that particular job, especially if it’s more niche, like working in social media or at your theater department on campus. Friends make work go faster as well, so it’s a win either way for you both!
4. Join a student club.
College offers you the perfect opportunity to get involved in extracurricular activities, which also means potentially making friends. Do you like volunteering and want to meet others with similar passions? See if you can find a club or organization that does regular volunteer work, like beach sweeping, that you can join. Or do you want to write for the school’s newspaper? Check out if you can contribute to the student newspaper, where you’ll meet and collaborate with fellow students who are also staff members. Getting involved on campus looks good on your resume, makes college more fun, and helps you make those college friends—what’s not to like?
5. Attend on-campus events.
I’ve lost count of how many on-campus events my school had, let alone the ones I attended! No matter how big or small, your campus will likely have events going on to keep students engaged and entertained, especially if they’re new to the town where they’re in college. I ended up making a friend from an on-campus event that involved crafting and coloring, which I never would have expected, but that just goes to show how you never know where you’ll meet friends!
Making college friends can be hard for everyone, especially if you’re new or shy.
But don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. College is a time for you to explore the world around you, which means you get to meet all sorts of people worldwide. So take these five tips—you never know when that person you ran into at the school game will become your best friend, or if the student government president ends up as one of your besties!
