Making friends after college may not be as easy as before. School used to be a networking playground, where you bonded and made friendships with your classmates and could often find clubs, activities, and groups to join all in one place but this time is different.
Making friends after college may not be as easy, but it certainly isn’t impossible, it just takes a bit of strategy.
Here are 5 tips on how to make friends after college.
About a year before I graduated, I was a typical homebody. My routine was quite similar to high school, I went to the school when I needed to, and bolted as soon as I got the chance to leave. By the time I was home, I didn’t care to really go anywhere except stay home and watch a marathon of Grey’s Anatomy, thus killing any chances of me having a social life.
I really isolated myself from the outside world and once I was dragged back into it by some sort of obligation (work, school…mom) then I felt as if I lacked basic social skills or rather I felt a sense of discomfort around people.
I suggest to start out with something pretty easy like hanging out around spots where people often spend a lot of time like a Barnes & Noble or the library.
In my experience, after a routine of going to certain places, I there might be other people that recognize me and eventually, we’ll start a conversation.
(Note: I said the places that I suggested to go are common places where young adults will often study or will work remotely from. It’s always better to be in an environment where the pace is a bit slower)
One thing I started doing a few semesters before graduation is volunteering at a local church. I was already attending one but I was still relatively new. I knew that volunteering would be a great way to actually give me the ability to really be able to interact and meet people. I started out as a simple Greeter, not only did this force me out of my comfort zone but it forced me to interact with so many people who soon were actually able to remember me.
Not long after I graduated, I ended up volunteering at a media department at another church. This was a great way for me not only start networking with those in the field of Communications but I was actually able to meet people who all shared common interests such as photography and video.
Other places you can volunteer at might be a national park, art museums, or even a local library; I recommend finding a place where there might be people that share a common interest.
I would say that this concept is almost like networking, everybody knows somebody. The more people that I meet through volunteer programs, internships, or even through friends that I already knew, the more people I was introduced.
Get in the habit of asking your friends or family who they know, I would say that perhaps the fastest and quick way to meet someone is through a person that you already know. Even if you moved to a new city and don’t have any friends yet, you can still start with an acquaintance from work, and ask if they can introduce you to other people around the office
Meetup is a social networking site that allows you to find and join groups related to your own personal interests. However, instead of just talking about these interests online, Meetup is used to organize offline and in-person meetings in your area.
This is a great tool that can help you not only meet people in your area but also those who share your same passions and interests. I personally will often sign up for writing and poetry groups, but plenty of other categories ranging from book clubs to outdoors and adventure to food and drink, and much more.
If your an introvert, then try to bring someone along but then again you try to get out your comfort zone.
As I said before, its always a good idea to try to go to a place where there are like-minded people. I think that another great to use Meet Up might be attending a workshop or a class such as painting, ceramics or even cooking. Not only are you doing what you love but meeting people with those same passions.
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