Making friends at university is always a daunting idea, and many of us feel afraid of ending up alone in this brand new place. Thankfully, we have ten great tips for how you can make friends at university.
Every university has societies and they are pretty varied. There are fandom societies like anime club or Harry Potter fan clubs where members collect to watch their favourite programmes or play their favourite games as a group. There are also more personal societies like Autism society or Islam society where members can meet other people who are like them. This is useful for those who feel isolated at university. Finally, there are sports clubs. If you’re an active person, this is a great way to find a new group of friends.
Most universities have some sort of bar exclusively for students. This is a place to meet new people. Everyone there will be a student like yourself and they will probably be looking to meet new people too. Even better is to attend a themed night or an event like karaoke or a pub quiz. This usually draws in the most students and will give you a wider net of people to meet. Besides, anyone who doesn’t want to dress as ABBA for the 70s night is not someone you want to be friends with anyway.
This sounds obvious but let’s be serious, not all students actually attend their classes. When you do, however, you will meet a whole host of people who presumably are interested in the same field as you (why would they be in your class otherwise?). It is a good place to make conversation, share ideas, and find people who you click with. It also makes the inevitable group projects easier when you know some of the people already and know who will be a good colleague – and more importantly, who definitely won’t.
Someone is always throwing a party in halls. Doesn’t matter if it’s the middle of the week, the night before an exam, or Christmas Day – someone is throwing a party. So make sure you go to them! Even if you do not live in halls yourself, make an attempt to visit for the parties. You will meet hundreds of people you likely would never bump into at the university building itself. That can make a huge difference. It also gives you a chance to meet your neighbours in the student accommodation. You will be more than grateful for that the next time you run out of bread or milk!
If you live in halls, don’t wait for someone else to have a party – throw one yourself! Put the word out amongst your friends, or plaster it all over Facebook. Get as many people as you can back to your flat. This will give you a chance to meet lots of new people and everyone will love you for letting them hang out at your place. Just make sure it doesn’t get too rowdy. You might be out of your parents’ house, but the university security can still shut down your fun!
Most universities schedule welcome events during the first few weeks of term to allow students to mingle and get involved with everything their school has to offer. These events are usually advertised around the buildings, in halls, and on university social media – so keep an eye out! If something takes your fancy, go along and join in. During the first month of the new year, everyone feels a bit lost and is looking for friends. You can be the friend!
It’s true that some university food is overpriced and you might be tempted to stay away from it in favour of picking up something nearby or bringing in your own packed lunch – but then you are missing out on a fantastic mingling opportunity! Pick up something tasty to eat and venture over to a table of people – or if you see someone eating alone, ask if they want company. It is a simple and effective way of making friends at university.
These days, university is very heavily influenced by social media. A lot of universities actually set up Facebook groups and Whatsapp chats for students in advance of them starting and encourage them all to join. If that isn’t the case, it is easy enough to set up a group yourselves. It gives you a place to discuss assignments, ask for advice, but most importantly make friends!
Underneath all the fun, partying, and hanging out at the student bar, university is about studying – so why not set up a study group? Ask around the people in your course and see if anyone would like to work together on their studies. You’ll find that they would probably appreciate the help! This is a good way of making friends at university and furthering your education. Teamwork makes the dream work!
Every university has some form of student link service. It might be under a different name, but essentially it is the place students to go when they need assistance. Often, they have information about everything happening at the university and the surrounding areas. They can point you to the nearest church if you’re looking for a place to worship, they can tell you about local festivals and events, or direct you to places where you will find other students. You might find yourself making friends at university in the most unlikely places.
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