Ever since Kindergarten we’ve been making friends like it’s nothing. Then, we get to college. The older you get, the harder it is to meet new people and form new friendships, so here are some ways to meet new people on campus (and hopefully make some new friends along the way).
1. Ask your existing friends to each bring a new person to dinner.
This can result in a bunch of new pals (as long as you power through the awkward intros and get to real conversation) and it’s definitely going to add excitement to your mundane dining hall meals. When in doubt, a great icebreaker is to talk about a class most people have had to take such as First Year Seminar or Philosophy 101, horrible professors or how hot the dorms are. Those are guaranteed to get people talking.
2. Bake cookies.
Head to the kitchen in your dorm or house and bake a bunch of cookies. Put a sign outside that says “Free Cookies.” People love free food and baking in the dorm kitchen is where I met many lovely people. Food attracts people—fact. Even if this fails, you’ll still have cookies. It’s a win-win situation.
3. Attend an event and make a point to be social.
Rather than going to the next stand-up comedian event with your best friend and sitting in isolation as per usual, sit close to another group. Start talking to them—force yourself to do it! While it may not result in a friendship, it could result in another familiar face to say “hey!” to on campus. So sit near other people at the play and strike up a conversation, because why not?
4. For housing selection, go in with a small group.
Namely, opt to get some roommates randomly selected. Not only will a small group better your chances for the best housing, but also it’ll mean less housing drama. Having new people in your house means being forced to meet other people and it could be great! This year I had five new housemates and they’re all people I would have never met otherwise. So, ultimately, pick a few of your closest friends and let fate decide the rest of your house. Bam. You automatically meet new people and who knows, they could become some of your closest friends.
5. Make a new friend in each class.
It’s great to have someone’s phone number for when you have a question about the class or need some notes, right? It’s also great to have someone to sit next to and walk to class with. Even though most friendships made in classes are only super strong while you’re both in the class or talking about it, there is always the potential to forma stronger friendship and if nothing else, they will make your classes more interesting. So, in your next new class, sit next to someone! Start a conversation—they’ll be relieved someone spoke to them.
6. Join something relevant to your interests.
Joining a club just to meet people absolutely works, but joining a club you actually want to be a part of makes all of the difference. Think of this: if you’re a writer and you join the newspaper, you’re going to be with other people who like to write! It’s easy to meet new people when you already have things in common. So pick your club based on your interests and passions and you’re bound to make friends who feel the same way.
So there you have it: some ways to meet new people and hopefully make new friends! If all else fails, just go up to someone and say “H\hey.” Besides a weird look, what’s the worst that can happen?