If you’re anything like me, you probably struggle with a crazy schedule requiring you to balance a job, schoolwork, some extracurriculars and a social life. Thanks to that, making friends on campus may be somewhat difficult. Or maybe you just haven’t found anyone who you vibe with yet on campus, which is perfectly okay! Either way, making legitimate friends can be extremely difficult. I made the decision to download the app Bumble for its BFF option about a year ago to see if it could help me make more friends. And here’s how it’s gone so far…
I’ve never used anything quite like Bumble BFF before (not even a dating app), in fact, beforehand I had no idea it existed. I was very new to the whole meeting people online thing.
So first, I created my profile. Bumble allows you to connect your Instagram and your Spotify accounts, which is pretty cool because I think having friends with a similar music taste to me makes it easier to bond. You can also add in things like if you drink, are 420 friendly, if you are a voter, your astrological sign and your religious beliefs. These descriptions are super helpful to get an idea as to what someone is like. They really help make the decision of whether or not I swipe right. Bumble also gives the options to answer some “get to know me” questions. For example, “my pet peeve is…”, “if I could teleport to anywhere it would be…”, and “I quote too much from…”.
After I created my profile, the swiping began. Surprisingly, I got a lot of matches and I wasn’t really expecting many. Sometimes, the people I matched with started the conversation and other times, it was me. Honestly, all of the people I’ve messaged on Bumble BFF were (and have been) incredibly sweet. The conversations always flow so nicely. I was so happy I found people with a lot in common with me, it was relieving. If I had been messaging someone for a while, we’d exchange numbers, Snapchats and other forms of social media. Eventually, we would plan to meet up (pre-COVID times).
I struggle with social anxiety, so the thought of meeting up with a (somewhat) stranger made me want to cry. However, to my complete surprise, none of the meetups were scary. It felt as if I were catching up with an old friend instead of meeting someone for the first time. Just remember, both of you are probably extremely nervous, so the feeling’s mutual. Typically, I would meet the person at a cafe, museum, or restaurant. I also met up with someone and we went ice skating and another time, I had a girl’s night out. Overall, I’ve had some really positive experience meeting people through Bumble BFF.
However, the question is: are the people you met still long term friends of yours? The answer is YES. I still talk to people I met on Bumble BFF a year ago, while we may not be BFFs, we are still good friends and talk often. Some of the friends I made through the app moved away and we still keep in contact. And since I still use the app, I am meeting new people every day.
Do I think Bumble BFF is worth it? 100% yes. It allows you to branch out and meet new people you would have never met before. (who knows, maybe your future bridesmaids are on there). I’ve met so many people who go to different universities in my city and others who are locals in my city. If I’m being honest, using the app feels good too because you can see how many people have swiped right on you. Also, you get a boost of confidence because everyone on the app becomes your personal hype woman (and you become theirs). There are so many amazing people on the app with various interests, so I’m sure everyone could meet a BFF or two. So… what are you waiting for? Go sign up!