We know that making friends is hard. You can’t just go up to a kid on the playground and offer to share your KitKat like you could in Primary School. It can be pretty scary to try to make friends as an adult. Now summer is drawing to a pretty rainy conclusion, and it’s time to head off on new adventures, the important thing to remember is that everyone feels like this from time to time. That’s why we have put together a super quick guide to making friends wherever you are heading to in September. You got this.
1) Help your flatmates move in
Moving can be really stressful, so if you are there early, get yourself settled so you can be an extra pair of hands for your flatmates who come a little later. Not only will be a great chance to get to know them a little, but will probably be very welcome from them and their parents.
2) Be a pro tea maker
It sounds ridiculous but seriously, hone your tea making skills now before you go and be ready to stick the kettle on. Sharing a cup of tea with a flatmates post moving in will be a great chance to chat, and knocking on doors in the flat and offering one around will give everyone else the opportunity to come out of their rooms and say hello. Everyone will actually probably be super grateful for the excuse as we bet they will be feeling a bit shy too.
3) Make your room nice
A win for you, a win for your Mum, and a win for your flatmates. If your room is a total state, chances are your flatmates won’t be too keen on spending any time in there, and will probably get a negative first impression of you as well. When you move in, take an hour to throw a few cushions on the bed, put up some posters and set up your tech. Same goes for the rest of the flat by the way – don’t give your flatmates a reason to grumble about you by being the person that leaves dishes to fester in the sink for several thousand years.
4) Join societies
At the Fresher’s Fair, you will sign up to about forty societies, pay the fee, give them your email, and probably never ever go along to Mahjong meet-up or the Pokémon Club or whatever. A good way to avoid this will be to do a little research before you go and find a few societies you like the look of. Have a look what else is there on the day but restrict yourself to signing up to a few, and go to all the introductory meetings for them.
5) Go to the course induction
It can be super tempting to sack off any and all obligations in the first few weeks of uni in favour of hanging out with your flatmates. However, whilst it’s great that you might want to spend loads of time with them now, you will be spending a lot of time over the next three years with people from your course. Get a coffee, get out of bed and go and introduce yourself at the course induction, no matter how you feel.
6) Go to as many classes as possible in the first few weeks…
We know your Mum already thinks you are going to every class on your schedule, but we also know that maybe that isn’t exactly your plan. But, the best thing you can do to make friends on your course is the easiest – be present. Go to all of your classes in the first few weeks, and try chatting to lots of different people. You will find that you might end up meeting some ace people to spend lecture time with who aren’t in your seminars, so find some people in those too.
7) …And then go for post lecture lunches
Drop into conversation that you fancy going for a bit of a post-learning lunch or coffee and see if anyone around you fancies one too. That way, you can have a chance to get to know a few people away from work, and try out a few food places around campus as well. Win-win.
8) Go to the halls socials too
Chances are you are going to be living in some sort of halls of residence for your first year at uni. Even though your flatmates are probably going to feel like the centre of your universe for the next year, going to the halls socials in the first few weeks of term will let you get to know people in other flats and rooms in your building, and widen your circle a bit.
Feeling lonely? Talk to one of our trained support mentors here.
