HOP to Freshers - Making friends at University
Making new friends when you start University is naturally daunting. Many students worry about this so don’t panic I’m sure lots of people will be having the same feelings as you. Remember that everyone wants to make friends, just like you, and even more so in the first few weeks- there are plenty of opportunities for you to do just that! We are sure you could easily figure this out yourself in your own time, but here are a few top tips on how to meet people and make friends in those first few exciting weeks at University.
Get in touch with people before you start Uni.
Make sure you find the University’s Facebook page before you start and see what groups you can join to start communicating with other students going to the same University you are. You might be able to use the Uni’s Find Your Tribe group on Facebook where you will be able to find other students on your course. This is great way to take the pressure off meeting people for the first time in person if you are shy. You can share your thoughts, experiences, worries and expectations and you will have some familiar friendly faces to look out for when you get on to campus.
Get to know your house mates.
It’s a great idea to keep your bedroom door open the first week of University as it means you are open to people coming in to your room and welcoming them into your space. Just remember to lock your room when you aren’t there and keep valuables hidden somewhere safe. Show interest when people are moving in, offer to help them and make conversation based on some items they might have on them like books, clothes and pictures.
Make sure you put the kettle on, there is no better way to make friends then offering someone a cuppa. We recommend you spend a lot of time in the kitchen/ living room so that you can catch people as they come in and out and have a chat.
Knock on some doors.
Sometimes there is so much going on in the first few weeks with unpacking, meeting people on the course and all the events at fresher’s week that you might not catch everyone you live with. If you are feeling particularly brave try knocking on some bedroom doors. It’s great to just say hi and start a conversation and it’s more than likely that they will be happy that you’ve introduced yourself and want to carry on chatting.
Have a chat with people on your course
Try and chat to as many people as possible. Maybe try and sit next to someone you haven’t talked to before and have a chat. It’s great to get to know people on your course as they are likely to have similar interests and it's an opportunity to work out who to pair up with for group projects or coursework.
Join some societies
You’ll notice on freshers week a wide range of societies and teams that you can join, there is literally something for everyone. Meeting new people with shared interests is a brilliant way of making new friends and when joining a society your likely to meet other friends that aren’t your housemates or course mates. You might want to try something completely new rather then an activity you know a lot about, it’s a great bonding experience learning a new skill with new people.
Check out events
Parties and nights out are a great way to meet new people. In the first two weeks of University everyone will be keen to make friends, so take the opportunities to go to events and chat to people in bars and clubs. It can be a bit daunting to get all dressed up and go on your own, but if you are feeling like you don’t know many people yet, event environments are made for new people to meet one another.
Friend of a friend
Make sure you join other social engagements that your friends are already going to. Your house mate might invite you to a gathering at there course mates house for example, this is a great way to cast your friendship net further. Don’t forget to invite your friends to events too.
Even with all these tips, don’t stress out about it, you will make friends at Uni 100%. Just be your true self and be nice to people and you will have friends very quickly. However, hanging out in your kitchen, going to events, spending time in café’s and the student’s union, if you have the courage to starting talking to people it will get you far!
Check out our other blog on packing your stuff before you start University.
