Everyone has had different high school experiences. Some of you were reluctant to leave, some lit a mental match and burned every bridge and tie you ever had. Either way, all of you end up at college asking yourself: Now what? For the naturally social, maybe this isn’t that tricky, but, speaking from personal experience, not all of us are equipped to jump into a social landmine without a plan of action stemming from a few weeks of inner contemplation and turmoil. From one self proclaimed introvert to possibly several others, here are some tips I’ve gathered to help you find your place in college.
The “Just Talk To People” Method:
See that person sitting next to you in class? Congratulations, they’re an easy person to talk to because you already have something in common. Unfortunately, this strategy works even better if the class, assignment or professor is awful. I speak from experience. Bonus points if you can bond over how great the class or professor is.
The “Project Group to Friend Group” Method:
Group projects are an excellent excuse to talk to people outside of class. If you see someone who you’ve been wanting to talk to, or looks like someone you might hang out with, try to partner up with them if the opportunity arises. Suddenly, you might find yourself sitting next to them during class or chatting before or after.
The “Use Any Means Necessary” Method:
If classes are too formal or have too small of a population, campus events are a great environment to test out your social skills. With no professor presiding and no reason to hide your laughter, you can often talk with those around you easily, and if things get quiet between you and your conversation partner, there’s always the entertainment you’re there for in the first place.
The “Force Other People To Spend Time With You” Method:
Okay, this one is cliche, but it’s cliche because it works. Join stuff! There’s intramurals if you’re not willing to make such a large time commitment, and there’s orgs if sports aren’t your thing (I hear Her Campus is amazing and looking for writers). What this does is give you an excuse to spend time with people and a shared topic to talk about. Basically, you sign up for a group of friends when you join something. Suddenly you’ll find yourself going to the dining hall together before or after you’re scheduled to meet up and suddenly you’re hanging out completely outside of your sport or org. If you don’t believe all the adults or tour guides who’ve told you, believe me. I’m awful at making myself talk to people, and because I joined a sport, I have a large group of people I love to spend time with in and out of the pool.
The “Friend of a Friend” Method:
Don’t be afraid to tag along! If your roomie is going somewhere with their friends and invites you, go! Make some mutual friends and maybe claim some of your own. Especially for you introverts, letting your extrovert friend drag you to meet more people can be the best thing.
Hopefully something here helps or at least gives you the courage to do something you’ve been considering. Making new friends, especially in a foreign place, can be absolutely terrifying, but if you believe in yourself and dare to take a couple risks, I promise you’ll find yourself surrounded by people who love you and that’s what makes college so great.