Many are afraid of entering university life. There is a lot of responsibility and organization coming your way. But not only the formal things scare us, but we are also plagued by other horror thoughts. What if I can’t make friends at the university? Will I be alone all of my student days? Especially after moving to a new city a little further away from home, you are even more afraid of not finding someone to spend your time with. But making friends at the university is not that difficult.
How To Easily Make Friends At College
Introduction Week
The introductory week (or the O week) is super important! Not only so that you can learn what to expect from your studies in the coming weeks and years, but also because you can quickly get to know new people here. Most of the courses in the introductory week are usually not mandatory, but here you will learn how to create your timetable, take courses and register for exams. You are surrounded by hundreds of other freshmen who are just as excited as you. That’s why it’s a good idea to just chat and talk to someone! Maybe you don’t know anyone yet and are glad that someone was braver than you and sought a conversation.
Use Social Networks
In the meantime, this has become an insider tip (no longer so secret) for freshmen. Because every semester, new groups are formed on Facebook that are specially set up for newcomers. Whether for the winter or summer semester, you can simply enter the name of your university and the start of the semester and the year and you will find a group that suits your situation.
Do Not Always Drive Home
The homesickness is great, the longing for mom and dad is growing, and you want to see your old school friends again. These are all legitimate reasons to take the next train home, but you shouldn’t make it a habit. Because if you go home every weekend, it can quickly happen that you lose touch with your new university life and your new friends go to a party without you. After the weekend, you hear the funny stories and get annoyed that you weren’t there.
Initiatives
Almost all universities offer a number of initiatives. At some universities, the selection is so large that you don’t even know what is the best now. The good thing about initiatives is that you can very easily meet new people here. Because many initiatives focus on one area and are committed to it. So you will meet like-minded people who have the same interests as you! And what’s a better guide to making new friends than having the same interests?
Volunteering
If one initiative is not enough for you, or you want to try something different, you can always volunteer. There are definitely some honorary positions in your new city that you find interesting and for which you are happy to stand up. It can be anything from animal shelters to environmental protection. You have the same advantage as with the initiatives: You meet people who represent the same interests, and thus you can easily get into conversation with someone.
