You may have heard all the great ways to MAKE friends when you get to college, but I would like to focus on the cautionary tale of someone who DIDN’T make friends.
Sally was excited about college. After all, UW Madison is an amazing school with so much to offer academically. But when it came to socializing, she was worried about making new friends. She was quiet and has had the same small friend group since grade school. When she came to Madison, she moved into Witte and was immediately overwhelmed. She wanted to make friends but didn’t go to the dorm mixers or participate in the open door way of meeting floor mates. She only left her room to go to class and eat even though she knew there was so much more going on that she was too shy to participate in. Then, when the weekend came, she went home instead of hanging out on campus. Now she is wondering why she doesn’t have any friends?
So what did Sally do wrong?
First of all, it is tempting to go home every weekend. After all, you probably miss it there because you are familiar with it. But even though the weekends are for catching up on homework, it is also a good time to hang out with your new friends. At Madison there are literally more than 40,000 students enrolled and in Witte alone there are 1258 residents, which makes for a lot of of new possible friends. There are 2 active student unions and thousands of part time jobs available both on campus and in the surrounding area. With over 900 student clubs there is something for everyone who wants to connect with a like minded person. Madison has a lively night life and the Terrace is legendary for bringing people together. There are about 90 fraternities and sororities that rush at least once a year. Lastly, there is State Street. Need I say more?
