Choosing a college and moving away from home is hard, but it’s even more difficult when, like me, you have to move halfway across the world. Thankfully, Facebook helped us all get to know each other months before we even got to Kenyon – especially thanks to the Kenyon College Class of 2017 group (which I’m sure we’re all kind of annoyed with by now).
When I first joined the group, it was a bit disheartening to read all of the posts inviting future classmates to their city’s – or, in some cases, state’s – meet-ups. I kept thinking, “That’s really nice and all, but it sucks that I can’t just hop on a plane and casually meet everyone.” And honestly, with all the meet-ups and pre-O’s I was sort of worried I’d be the only one who didn’t know someone already by the time I arrived at Kenyon. It’s a silly thought, of course, but at the time it made some sense in my head.
Thankfully, modern technology made it possible to work around this problem. So, if you’re like me and just couldn’t find a way to meet other people in person – or even if you could but felt kind of awkward about doing so – read on.
People will post about their interests. Join in and post about your own! It’s a great way to let your peers know what you’re into. On the other hand, it’s also a good way to check out the interests of other people at your college, which can serve as a nice conversation starter. For example: ‘Hello there. I see you are into B-rated slasher films. That’s cool, because I am also into B-rated slasher films. Let’s be friends’ Trust me guys, this never fails.
Inbox people who look cool. This may sound a little creepy, but sometimes it works out well. No, seriously! That’s how I met one of my greatest friends on campus.
Initiate online group activities with people who share your interests. This can be anything, from Skype convos to playing League of Legends together. There’s nothing like bonding destroying those pesky turrets, am I right?
If all else fails, don’t sweat it – Kenyon’s 5-day orientation is basically designed to assure that you’ll have at least one friend by the start of your first day of classes. This is just another reason why our school’s so great.