Making friends in college is more than just a way to fill your social calendar. Friendship is the key to a well-rounded and enriching college experience. By connecting with your peers on a deeper level, you can find personal growth, access emotional support, and make lasting memories. A sense of community on campus eases the transition to a new environment in which you may face homesickness and academic pressure. Moreover, friends can be instrumental in your academic success throughout college, and even your career long after you’ve graduated.
So just how do you go about building that circle of friends? Read 3 tips below!
1. Make the Most of Orientation
Orientation is about making sure you know all the rules and resources available to you in college, but perhaps most important is the friends you make along the way. It’s during orientation that friend groups will first begin to form.
Attending orientation, and filling your calendar with events like morning yoga, department meet and greets, and talent shows, are a great way to start making friends on campus. Introduce yourself everywhere you go, and take initiative – event before lunch? Invite your new friends to join you in the dining hall. If you’re finding it hard to jump in – or even if you’re not – consider finding someone else who might seem to be having a hard time and say hello. Chances are they’ll be eternally grateful!
Before orientation even starts, some colleges even offer pre-orientation programs, which might be centered around community service, identity-based programming, or an academic or extracurricular activity. These are a great chance to get a head start on making friends, and even have a few friendly faces your first week in college.
2. Leverage your Housing Situation
The people you live with may be the first friends you make on campus! Housing arrangements on college campuses are broadly varied, but no matter what, you can leverage it to make friends. Sharing a suite with eight students? You’ve got a built-in friend group, so be sure to organize some suite dinners and get to know your roommates as you pass each other in the living room. Have your own personal space? Knock on some neighbors’ doors and introduce yourself! Moreover, you’re lucky enough to not have to ask for permission to invite anyone over, so throw some bean bag chairs into your room and invite your new friends for a movie night! If you have a choice in your housing, you may even factor your social preferences into your decision.
3. Join Clubs and Activities
College offers clubs around almost any activity you can imagine, from ultimate frisbee to journalism to music to community service. In your first few weeks, jump into as many activities as you can – over time, you can choose the ones you enjoy the most to commit to longer term.
As you build your schedule of extracurricular activities, you have many factors to consider – but one factor to keep in mind is the community you’re joining. Some extracurricular activities offer monthly meetings, and members may only know each other as acquaintances. Others might spend almost all their time together, sharing many meals, and maybe even traveling or living together. The former is a great way to squeeze your interests and ambitions into a busy social life, while the latter may be a great way to build up your social life!
Making Friends is Worth the Investment
Putting yourself out there is challenging – especially in a new environment in which you're trying to balance many different things! But your first days and weeks on campus can be among the best times to form friendships and find community, and doing so can shape the rest of your college experience. Making friends in college is an investment in your wellbeing, personal growth, and future.
Hermiona offers a mentorship program to support you through settling into college - have a chat with us about making the most of college today!
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