Prior to attending college, we all have our friend groups back home that have been with us through thick and thin. No matter where life takes you, you all will remain the best friends. What does this mean when it’s time to attend college without them? It can be a very scary thing at first because you are putting yourself in an environment where you do not know anyone, but you hope to quickly change that.
I went through this same ordeal being a transfer student. Transferring as a junior was a little hard for me because most people already had their friend groups since freshman year when they were more open to meeting people, so as a result it took me longer to find friends that I could hangout with. This led to me signing up for as many clubs on campus as I could. I believe joining clubs is a great way to make friends. This worked for me when I rushed Sigma Delta Tau and got closer with my best friend and the other girls, and this turned out to be the best decision I ever made.
Here are some tips I used to find friends after I transferred:
– Be more adventurous. It’s important to get out of your comfort zone and get to know new people. Using the city as a means to develop strong friendships and explore places with you and your friends is so much fun, and could make for good memories. We are lucky that we get to attend a college that is in the greatest city with endless places to see.
– LOVE trips and studying abroad is especially a great way in finding lasting friendships because I myself have done it. I attended LOVE Ecuador my first semester as a transfer as a way to meet new people. The group and I spent 6 weeks in meetings, and fundraising money for the trip. At the end of the six weeks and right before we left to Ecuador we all had such a strong bond and became good friends. The one week we spent in Ecuador made us all grow even closer and now, a year later we all went from being complete strangers on campus to being close friends who hangout in our free time.
College friends are different then high school friends because you immediately go from meeting them for the first time to living with them, so the friendship develops quickly. There is a quote by Jessica Park “The friends you make in college are friends you’ll have for life, even if you don’t talk for years at a time.”
Overall, I think it is important to be open to meeting different types of people and being yourself, so you can attract people who like you for you. Don’t try too hard because that doesn’t usually work but be patient because everyone finds their group eventually. The friends you make in college are with you during the most difficult and best years of your life: being broke college students, internship, job applications, traveling together, etc. which is why they will remain your lifelong friends.