Making friends is one of the top things on most people’s minds when they enter a new school. Friends can heavily shape your school experience. Whenever you’re not in class, you’ll need someone to eat with, shop with, and to overall have a good time with during your downtime. Friends will make college out to be more than just academic. You will have experiences with your college friends that will last you a lifetime. And along with having people around to share in your college experience, you can even make a few lifelong friends in the process. 

The good times are just as important as the academic process when you’re in college, but making new friends is not always the easiest. For some people, making friends can be quite difficult, and for others, they may simply be out of practice because they have had the same friends since childhood. Maybe you’re just a social butterfly who would like to amass as many friends as you possibly can so that you’re invited to everything! Whatever your reasons, a few small tips will help you make the friends you need to enjoy your journey towards earning a degree!

Join On-Campus Clubs

On-campus clubs are useful for many reasons. 

On-campus organizations are a great way for students to meet each other. They are especially great because they will help you meet other students with similar interests. At most colleges, you’ll find they have groups related to a wide number of things. There are clubs for different majors, for different hobbies, maybe even for popular shows. Choose a club that excites you and enjoy participating in it with other people who feel that way. 

Enjoying your time outside of class is imperative for a good college experience. The people you enjoy your time with in campus clubs will likely want to do more with you outside of the group. You already relate to each other enough to enjoy this specialized club, the next step will be to see how much else you all have in common. You can easily end up enjoying this same interest outside of the club together. If you’re in a movie club, you’ll want to plan to watch movies together even outside the club. This will lead to you and your clubmates doing so much more together outside the campus walls. 

Leave Your Dorm Room Doorway Open at Times

Making your room an inviting space can draw friends to you. 

It can be tempting to always treat your dorm room like a private sanctuary. Once you’re in there, you’re likely happy to shut the door and relax all by yourself. But your floor provides one of the best spaces for friendships to develop! You all have a floor in common. You’ll walk past some of these people more than anyone else. Once in a while, keep your bedroom door open and make it clear that you’re open to socializing. When school has just begun, there are many people who are also looking to make new friends. For the most part, someone is not going to knock on your closed door to make conversation. When your door is closed, you send the message that you are not open to communication. The opposite is true with an open door. 

You should wave hello at some of the people walking by. Some will wave back and go on their way, but some will want to talk to you. If they make a passing comment, respond in a way that lets them know that you are open to more conversation. While your open door relays a strong message, some people will need further reassurance to engage with you. They might think you seem friendly, but may not be sure if you want to talk to them. Make sure they know that they can come hang out if they wish. If they were on their way out, they might choose to stop by your room when they get back. 

Play some of your favorite music. Hang posters that reflect who you are on your door. Some friendly individuals will likely be interested in talking to you. They might love the poster on your door, or maybe they share your favorite song. People will be tempted to talk to you when you give off an aura of openness, especially when you put parts of yourself out there that they can connect to. 

Attend Campus Events

Campus events are built to bring people together. 

If you’re curious about an event that sounds interesting, go for it! You’ll have a great opportunity to meet people who are interested in the same events. You automatically have something in common with everyone there: the fact that you wanted to check out this event. It is an easy conversation starter. You can walk up to anyone to talk about your feelings about the event and they can easily join in. If you connect with someone, you can end up talking about a number of things! They might even invite you to attend the next event with them, and if they don’t, invite them to the next one yourself!

There will be posters advertising campus events all over the school and dormitories. Make sure you pay attention to the posters on the wall. You might even discover something new to try out. Maybe you don’t usually go to concerts, but you could have a great time if you attend a student-produced music show. You could discover a new hobby or still connect with people even if it's not an experience you end up seeking out regularly. Making friends from a variety of backgrounds, with different hobbies can help to enrich your college experience. You’ll be introduced to new people and new things that you might actually love. 

This yoga mat will help you join in with groups gathering to do yoga on campus. If you’ve always wanted to try yoga, on campus with potential friends will be a great way to start out!

Form Study Groups 

Groups of people helping each other study will form a strong bond.

If you have a class that you need lots of studying to get through, chances are that there are other students who feel the same. Propose forming a study group to your classmates and get together at a regular time. You’ll get to know the people who join the group while you study, and you’ll get closer as the study sessions pile up. Studying with other people can even make studying a more fun experience. The people in the group can help you retain knowledge and also have a good time. You may even look forward to your study sessions. 

Whenever your group is done with studying, you can invite anyone who is interested to join you in the dining hall. Group members are likely to pitch their own invitations whenever you all are done. You’ll already have a built-in topic to discuss that can lead the conversation elsewhere. Are you as nervous about the incoming exam? Is that class also stressful for you? Or is it boring? The shared experience of being in the class and studying together allows you to form great connections with those who can relate. 

Hang Around Campus

Your campus’ spaces are open for you to use. 

Most college campuses have lots of spaces made for student use. There are the dining halls, the library, and outdoor seating areas. When you spend time in these spaces, you’ll come across many other people choosing to spend their time in those same places. You shouldn’t always be holed up in your dorm room, or else it will be difficult to make friends. There are singular people and groups using the school’s spaces to pass their time. You will run into those people and have the option to engage with them. 

If you develop a favorite spot, the people who also love that spot will have something in common with you. Spark up conversations with the people who are sitting nearby. If you overhear a fun conversation, add your input. Most people will be happy to have a new person join in on their conversation. Many new college students are frequently open to making new friends. Even if they are already with a large group, they are likely not against having someone join. If it's easier to join-in with a singular person or a small group, ask someone who is sitting on their own if they don’t mind you joining them. Chances are, they won’t be against it. That is especially the case if the semester has just begun. Some people will even be relieved to have someone make conversation with them. Communicating with new people is easier for some than for others. 

Join Someone for a Meal

Meal-time is a prime bonding moment.

It can be intimidating to approach a large group to have a meal with them, but making friends in the dining hall is certainly possible. Just about everyone eats alone at times, and many of them won’t mind having new company. Just approach someone having a meal on their own and ask them if you can join them. Most people are likely to say yes. It's not often that people actively avoid making new friends. If you two end up having an awesome conversation, there is a big chance you’ll want to see each other again. And if you have just made a new friend, you’ll eventually be invited to join other meals with their friends. Your opportunities to make more friends will grow from there once you get introduced to all of your newest friend’s friends. 

Food is something that often brings people together. It is common for people to bond over shared meals. When eating together, people are more likely to focus on the people in front of them rather than on other distractions. Having meals together helps people form a connection with each other. You might end up talking about light topics, serious ones, or even complaining about the stress of classes together. Once you have formed a bond, try eating together in places other than the dining hall. Join up for a meal in a different part of campus, or even in your dorm room for a more cozy setting. Sharing food together is one of the best ways to make friends!

Join Campus-Based Social Media Groups

Social Media is a great modern day method of making friends. 

People have consistently formed great relationships online throughout the past years. People have formed beneficial business relationships and romantic partnerships. Meaningful friendships are also something not very hard to come by on social media. Your classmates probably have groups dedicated to all types of things on different social media platforms. You could find groups for gamers, movie lovers, or for even floormates. 

Make posts and engage with the group’s members. You’ll have to engage a healthy amount and avoid bombarding the group with posts. That will likely earn you something other than friendships. Since you’re on the same campus, it is likely the group will put together events where you can meet up. It can likely involve the focus of the group, so make sure you join groups about things you enjoy! Don’t just join any random groups to make friends. You can enjoy meeting about something you enjoy with other people who love it just as much!