In an atmosphere of roughly 32,000 undergraduates, Indiana University’s Bloomington campus can be overwhelming to the average Joe Freshman. However, there are many painless ways to make this huge campus feel like home. These hot new tips are from freshman to freshman, so put down the IU handbook that you received in the arboretum and listen up:
1. The most important step to not letting yourself become a number is simple: be YOURSELF. Don’t worry so much about how others view you. If your friends that you make here are really your true friends (otherwise known as the people you will still be friends with second semester), they won’t care if you join an unusual club or show an interest in something that they don’t. Embrace your differences and share them with your friends – I am sure that even if they don’t know how to swim, they would still be willing to come watch at least one of your meets.
2. Clubs, clubs, and more clubs. What better way to make friends and get involved than joining a group of people who share a common interest with you? The more you sign up for, the more options you have. Of course by senior year you will probably have picked one or two clubs you want to really commit to, but until then the more the merrier. Why not embrace your inner freshman and go to as many call out meetings as you can? They are a great non-binding way to meet people.
3. Home is where the heart is. Don’t be the anti-social room on your floor. One of the reasons freshman have to live in a dorm is to aid in the ultimate “college experience.” With the mix of 40-50 kids on your floor, you should be able to connect with at least one of them. However, you need to put yourself out there. You can’t expect people to want to come on in to your room to hang out if your door is always shut. So write a friendly message on your white boards, put on some good music, and leave your door open.
4. Be Seen. Sometimes the key landmarks of campus can be scary to a freshman. When you aren’t in the know of where the “place to be” is, you can fall into the trap of never leaving your dorm. I am here to tell you to take off the training wheels. Even if you aren’t quite sure which floor of Wells is the quiet floor, the only way you will find out is by GOING. There is no better way to become friends with someone you met once or twice than running into them at the Union and sitting together. Step one of putting yourself out there is actually going out.
5. Lastly, speak up in class. You aren’t just thrown into a room with 30-450 kids; you are all in that room for a reason. Whether you both picked that class because you are Psychology majors or you have to take finite because it is a requirement, you can find something in common. Don’t be afraid to talk to the person who sits next to you. You have nothing to lose and potentially a new friend to gain. I mean, we are all Hoosiers so you should have at least one mutual interest – even if it is just as simple as a common dislike for Purdue.