Everyone agrees that friends are an essential part of the college experience, but finding your core friend group is a challenge every student has to overcome. Here are three things you can try as soon as you get to campus in order to find like-minded people and forge long-lasting friendships.
Your Dorm is Your Home – So Use It!
Your dorm is more than just a stairwell and one room for you and your roomate – it’s a community full of people eager to meet one another. Since you will be spending the majority of your time at your dorm (if you count hours spent sleeping!) why not turn it into a place where you and your new friends can spend time together?
1. Building Activities
Your building will be host to a range of activities, so don’t be afraid to participate! These ice-breakers can be a great place to meet new people, so don’t hesitate to ask your neighbors if they would be interested in attending. As a freshman, take advantage of the opportunities your RAs give you to meet new people and have fun!
2. Meals, Meals, Meals
Everyone gets hungry, so satiate that hunger by sharing a meal with your floormates or other people in your dorm! Asking a group of people out to eat and telling them to bring a friend is a great way to introduce yourself to new people while still remaining in a comfortable environment.
3. Knock, Knock!
As scary as it may sound, go door-to-door in the first few days after moving in! Most people will be delighted to meet a friendly new face. In addition, putting a sign on your door asking people to knock and introduce themselves will greatly increase your chances of meeting someone new. You can even put your social media handles or a fun opinion poll to further connect with your floormates.
