Whether you’re a social person or not, making friends in college is inevitable. However, if you’re coming to a school from out of state like me, the idea of leaving your besties behind to make new ones is not an easy task. As I am approaching my first official month in school, I now know the ins and outs of meeting new people in your hall, around campus, in class, etc. In essence, here are my top tips for people wanting to branch out in college:
- RUSH
Although sorority life may not be for you, going through the formal process of recruitment will allow you to meet people you otherwise may have not known. In addition, you will also be able to meet the girls from your floor in your hall. Personally, most of the girls on my floor went through recruitment and we were forced to become acquaintances fairly quickly. While not all of us got the results we wanted, we have made strong friendships within each other and are with each other all the time.
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JOIN CLUBS
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Coming to a huge university like KU can be daunting to a lot of people, especially for freshmen. One way to meet new people and find your interests is to join clubs. In addition to looking good on resumes, clubs force you to meet like-minded people who most likely share common interests with you.
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MAKE GROUP CHATS
Whether it be over Snapchat or GroupMe, making group chats is an easy way to facilitate new friendships. I have multiple group chats for many different things such as my floor, which is called “Floor Whores”, and for my classes. The messages range from mundane questions like “Who wants to get lunch?” or my friends chronicling the spider in their room that they named “Aidan”. Essentially, group chats make you stay connected with people, even when you’re not physically together.
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GET CLOSE WITH ROOMIES
Another one of the ways that I have met new people is through my roomies. All three of my roommates are from around the area and significantly know a lot more people at KU than I do. As a result,I have met a ton more girls from other halls and we always have a blast when we go out together. In addition, you get to become close with your roommate and their families, which is nice if you are from out of state.
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BE OPEN-MINDED
I know this term is cliché, but the key to making new friendships is being open-minded. You will meet people who you never thought you would be friends with and people who you click with instantly, but staying receptive will lead you in the right direction. By avoiding your preconceived judgements, you are allowing yourself to grow in the manner you interact with people different from you and the essential skills of making new friends that can last a lifetime.