With school starting back up again, it can feel very isolating. York University is mainly a commuter school. It’s incredibly large and lonely at times. Maybe you’ve moved far away from your hometown city, province or country for school. Maybe all of your close friends are at different schools or you live in residence. With such an enormous and diverse campus it can be really hard to find a solid friend group or to get involved. It’s hard to know where to even start sometimes.
I myself am an out-of-province student. I came to York University to pursue my undergraduate degree last year knowing absolutely nobody. I experienced a great deal of loneliness living by myself and having to start fresh. Going out of my way to make strong connections with everyone around me during my first year at York was the best thing I could have done for myself. Now these people are my really good friends on and off campus. So, I’ve been in this position before.
Though it’s easy to feel discouraged, don’t get down on yourself for not finding your groove right away. The great thing about York University is that there is quite literally something for everybody. If you’re going to be spending four plus years here, it’s good to establish your place to call home when you’re on campus. Here are my tips and tricks on different ways you can try to make friends and get involved during your time here at York!
Club Fair
If there’s one thing you should choose to go to this year, it’s the club fair. Every year around the end of September, York hosts a giant club fair. It’s an all-day event and there are hundreds of clubs, organizations and associations to join. Going to this gives you a little preview of everything offered at York. With approximately 548 different organizations available, there’s a lot to choose from. There are organizations for your cultural background, ethnicity and religion. There are political movement groups, volunteer groups, dance clubs, student associations for majors and college affiliations, LGBTQ+ communities, the Harry Potter Club, and any other kind of hobby or interest you can think of. If there’s something you think of that is still not available at York, you can start your own club as well! Going to the club fair and joining some organizations can allow you to get involved in several ways and make friends with similar interests to you!
Classes
Something really simple but sometimes intimidating is talking to your neighbor in lectures or tutorials. Making a class friend is really essential. That way you can chat about all things school and class related. Get their number or add them on social media as a way to ask them if they want to get a coffee before class or lunch afterwards. Having someone to talk to about the upcoming projects due, bounce ideas off of, proofread your work, and study and hang out with is amazing. And if you end up missing a class, they’ll have your back!
Photo by Brooke Cagle
Major
Every major or faculty has some kind of way for you to get involved. Whether it’s an association to join, events to attend, or clubs to become a part of, participating in what your major offers can help you make friends in your program and also benefit your future career and schooling.
Whether you know it or not, your major’s association and faculty hosts events for you to come to! Joining the executive teams is a great way to get involved, looks good on a resume and will definitely help you meet new people! Just going out to the events they host is greatly important. You never know who you might meet or what opportunities you could get from going.
Frosh Week & Orientation
Frosh week is great for both first years as a froshie and any other year as a leader. If you went to frosh week as a first year student, you know that it’s a very friendly, exciting environment. It’s 10 days devoted to making you feel comfortable with school, having fun, allowing you to meet new people and make some friends in your faculty or elsewhere. It’s all tailored to make sure you have a good time and a good first impression of the York experience.
Being a frosh leader is also great because you still get the fun and friends but with more responsibility. It’s a great experience to be a leader for incoming students and it’s also so important. Frosh week is a big deal at York and it’s taken very seriously. You have to be 100 percent committed to being a leader for it to be successful. At the end of the day, though, it’s really fun and just a great way to start the school year.
Resident Neighbours
Being in residence at York has its perks and disadvantages. Some find it can be very lonely and hard to talk to people. Trying to talk to your neighbor can help change that. It can be depressing all cooped up in your tiny dorm room with such little social interaction. Definitely try for a roommate if you don’t mind sharing a room. It gives you someone you can chat with every day and even end up being great friends with by the end of the year! You never know what could happen. If you live in a single room, try talking to your neighbors in the hallway or elevator. Maybe invite them to hang out in your room for a relaxed night. Most residences host events like game nights, craft nights, movie nights, etc. So consider going out to one of those events and you’ll be surprised who you could meet!
Photo by Zachary Nelson
Sororities
Joining a sorority is definitely not for everyone, but it’s worth a try, especially if you’re looking to get very involved socially and give back to the community. It’s a big commitment but you’re committing to a lifelong sisterhood of bonding and friendship! Joining a sorority in my first year was the main thing that allowed me to connect with so many people and make instantaneous friends. I went into it very unsure if it was for me, but by the end of September I was very excited to have met all of the people I did in such a short amount of time. It’s opened so many doors for me socially and I feel like I am always going to events and making a new friend every time. It’s a supportive community. Philanthropist events are always going on, giving me a chance to have the experience of giving back to the community. It’s something that has made my university life full of memories and positive experiences!
Photo by Brooke Cagle
Peer Mentoring
Peer mentoring looks amazing on resumes and it’s the perfect way to get involved! You can do peer mentoring through your major’s program or your college affiliation. This is a great opportunity and can definitely open doors to meeting new people and creating new friendships. It’s nothing too stressful, either. Personal one-on-one time with other people in your major or college is a wonderful way to get to know others and contribute to making their experience insightful.
Sports Teams
Sports aren’t for everybody, but if you like the occasional recreational game of volleyball, dodgeball, etc., then you will be pleased to know that most college affiliations are always welcoming people to join teams of every sport for some friendly competition against other colleges. Maybe you can meet a gym buddy while doing so! Finding a friend to keep you motivated and stay active is awesome. Recreational sports are a great way to stay active, have something to focus on besides school, and help you meet a friend or two during the experience.
Photo by Andrea Tummons
Make the First Move & Take Initiative
Lastly, and this seems to be the simplest but one of the hardest things to do, don’t be shy to talk to someone first and start the conversation. Compliment them, ask them something about the class, or ask them anything and it’ll most likely spark a conversation leading to a potential friend or friendly face to see around.
I hope these suggestions are helpful, and that making a few friends at school will be simpler this year! Don’t stress too much. Finding your place and people on campus will come to you easily as long as you put in the effort!