At the beginning of my freshman year at college, I found myself with an unprecedented amount of free time and exactly zero people to spend it with. Class schedules weren’t as structured as I was used to, assignments were typically due at the end of the week rather than day to day, and I didn’t really have any connections to clubs or organizations on campus. But, rather than let my time be wasted, I found ways to make friends, get involved on campus, stay on track with my assignments, and keep my sanity stable.
Movie nights in the dorm common room
Simply connecting a computer to the TV provided in the dorm common room is how I made several friends on my floor. I, of course, knew the people in the rooms directly next to mine, so I would invite them to join me and we’d choose a movie to play. And nearly every time, as people were walking by the room, they would notice our group and join us. Even if I didn’t regularly see these people after the movie night was over, I would recognize them if we ever ran into each other and we’d talk.
Presentation nights with my roommates
Inspired by the TikTok trend, my roommates and I would choose a topic to make presentations over, and once every few weeks, we would present them to each other. We didn’t make the slideshows super long, but these nights definitely made lasting memories that we will look back on. Doing these presentations also allowed us to practice presenting projects, as well as putting together slides and remembering information to share.
Getting involved with clubs
Clubs are abundant no matter what college you attend; if there’s something you’re interested in, there is likely a club related to it. Finding what sparked my interests and getting involved with groups that shared my hobbies really helped me make friends and create a community of support.
Taking advantage of campus facilities and events
One thing that many people don’t consider is the amount of facilities and events that are available to students on campus. Sporting events, orchestra concerts, a rec center, a union building, tutoring services; things like these are typically ‘free’ (as in already built into tuition) for students to attend but aren’t always actually used. I have gone to my school’s rec center and math lab several times, which has been really beneficial for me!
All of these contributed to the survival of my first semester, obviously, but most of all it was spending time with my newfound friends that helped get me through it all. Truly, friendship is one of the greatest assets one could have in such a formative time in our lives.