How to make friends at university
Sparking a conversation with a stranger can feel awkward, especially when you鈥檙e new to university. Here are five of our tried-and-true tips for feeling confident, getting involved and increasing your chances to make friends.
Starting uni can be a lonely time if you don鈥檛 know many people on campus. Making new friends may seem daunting but it鈥檚 important to realise that everyone鈥檚 in the same boat.
Some of our current students have shared their tips for the best ways to make new friends, making it that little bit easier to settle into uni life.
1. Be yourself
People are drawn to other people who are confident and comfortable with themselves. Knowing your social limits and what genuinely makes you content will help you come across as authentic.
Everyone starts university feeling awkward. It鈥檚 easier to start a conversation if you have something in common, so choose your moment. Engineering and Commerce student Hazim suggests to 鈥渟ay hi to the person next to you in class and don鈥檛 be shy鈥�. If you're in line for a coffee, ask someone if they鈥檝e tried the lunch food and what they鈥檇 recommend. You could also find someone in one of your classes to work on an assignment with and turn it into a regular study group.
2. Find your people
The list of 聽is endless so there鈥檚 plenty to choose from, and you don鈥檛 always need to stick to what you know! While it鈥檚 great to join clubs that suit your interests, why not try something new? There鈥檚 heaps of options, and even more opportunities to meet new people and make friends from all over the world. There鈥檚 even groups for , and !
3. It's not what you know, it's who
Meeting people is a game of probability 鈥� the chances will remain low if you leave uni straight after class and head for your couch for some solo TV binge-watching time.
Research has shown that the average person knows about 600 people and maintains social relationships with about 150 of them. Consider how many of your friends鈥� friends are only a step away from you, and 鈥� bonus 鈥� they鈥檙e vetted by someone you trust! Join your friends at more social events and your social circles will grow naturally, as long as you take the initiative and stay in touch with those new people you get along with.
4.聽Step outside your comfort zone
If you鈥檙e shy, having a plan helps. Before heading out to a party, decide on a colour and challenge yourself to strike up conversations with people wearing that colour.
鈥淒evelop a taste for coffee鈥�, says Kevin, who studies Commerce and Science. When planning your lunch break, head out to聽a caf茅聽in an area of uni you鈥檝e never been to for new surroundings and people.
5. Live locally
驰辞耻谤听accommodation options聽near uni are vast. Living with other students away from home puts you in the close proximity of a whole lot of new people. You鈥檒l learn to be independent, to mingle with a diverse range of people, and to feel a part of and contribute to a community.
6. Know you've got support
Finally, be kind to yourself and know that making friends makes you vulnerable and can take time. If you feel weighed down, come have a chat with our friendly and supportive counsellors. Our聽Student Counselling Services聽have helped many students in your position, and there are聽resources and workshops聽all year round to skill yourself up.
Last updated: 20 January 2022