Making friends and fitting in at university can be an exciting yet daunting time. Many struggle with the thought of potentially dealing with loneliness, embarrassment or isolation if they can’t connect with others at university – especially in the first semester. However, with so many unfamiliar faces around you, a new place to navigate and settle in to, it’s perfectly normal to feel apprehensive about settling in.
This article will cover how to make friends and fit in at university, regardless of whether you’re staying in university halls of residences or commuting from home. We’ll also guide you on how to seek support if you’re struggling to make social connections or ‘fit in’ at university.
Is it easy to make friends at university?
While making friends at university can seem challenging, you have the advantage of many, many students feeling exactly as you do! With this in mind, it can actually be easier than you think to make friends at university.
Whether you’re introverted or outgoing, it can still be daunting to make new friends at university. The key is to be proactive and friendly with the people you happen across in your dorm and on your university course.
How do I make friends at university?
From simple hello’s as you’re moving your belongings into your new room, to joining clubs and societies, let’s look at all the ways making friends at university can be made possible.
1. Before arriving at university
The power of social media will be your best asset at this point. Many universities and halls of residences may have their own social media pages. It’s a good idea to join them and keep abreast of the posts on there. You may notice other students asking about to see who’s moving into a particular hall of residence – if you’re up for it, reply to any that resonate or make your own post to see who would like to connect!
2. Making friends at university during fresher’s week
Fresher’s week is literally an invitation to introduce yourself and mingle! Even if you weren’t particularly social at school, university is a time to reinvent yourself with the slate wiped totally clean. Everyone will be in the same boat as you and willing to meet new people, making the social aspect of this time much easier to navigate.
Don’t drink? That’s totally fine – we’ll cover this a little later on.
3. Making university friends in halls of residence
Are you living away from home? One of the best investments you can make is a door stop for your bedroom door. It’s a clear way to say, “come in!” and help your flatmates feel more inclined to socialise and hang out. Again, they’ll be feeling just as apprehensive as you are, so use this to your advantage to break the ice and even suggest exploring the local area together or helping each other unpack.
Many halls of residences will also have their own community or social media pages, as well as common rooms for the students to hang out in. See if anyone has suggested a meet and greet, or feel free to put a post up yourself if you’re up for it!
4. Making friends on your university course
On your first day of university, you’ll meet a whole new cohort of individuals who all have one thing in common with you – you’re on the same course! This already makes breaking the ice a lot easier. Forming friendships is also a lot easier in the sense that you’ll be sat closely with others and naturally make conversation. Ask questions about where they’ve come from, which halls they’re staying at, or even suggest hanging out after tutorials for a coffee.
Plus, if you’ve been set a task to complete before your first day of university, this is already a great conversation starter to see how your new peers have got on with it.
5. How to make friends at university if you commute
If you’re commuting from home for your university course, it can be a bit more daunting to form social connections since you aren’t on campus full-time. Fret not, as you still have course mates you can make friends with, as well as individuals in societies you may join to make friends with.
The trick really is to just be friendly, greet others and suggest get-togethers before you have to commute back home. Using common areas at university to do your assignments in are also great places to have conversations – especially if you spot peers from your course hanging out in those places too.
6. How to make friends at university if you don’t drink alcohol
According to a recent study by Drinkaware, almost half of of young adults are choosing no & low-alcohol drinks to moderate their drinking. This is reassuring news for students who may be apprehensive about pressures to drink or avoid individuals who revolve their activities around alcohol.
For students who don’t drink, there’s a breadth of activities that don’t involve alcohol, notably, societies! If you have a particular hobby, there’s more than likely a society for it. Your student union’s website or social pages may also have posts on activities that don’t revolve around alcohol, so they can be a good starting point too.
7. Making friends outside of university
Depending on the course you study, whether you live on campus or commute, or have other commitments that limit your time for socialising – making friends can be a bit of a challenge. However, it’s certainly not impossible.
Apps like Bumble BFF, part-time jobs, sports clubs you may be a part of and of course – your university classes – are all places you can make friends! While it may involve being a little more proactive, suggest coffee meet-ups, study sessions and even make WhatsApp groups to facilitate another space for social interaction when you’re away.
How a student assistance programme can help
Making friends and settling into university life – while exciting – can be a tough time for individuals who may struggle with their self-esteem, pre-existing mental health concerns or are feeling anxious about the whole experience.
In these instances, it’s important to seek support to help put your mind at ease and work through your thoughts and feelings with an impartial third-party. Ask your university if they have access to a student assistance programme (SAP) with HA | Wisdom Wellbeing.
We offer 24/7, 365-day counselling support to individuals who are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. Using a short-term, solution-focused therapy model, our qualified counsellors can help by putting goals in place to help you navigate your thoughts and feelings. Simply download our app Wisdom to connect with one of our counsellors via Live Chat, telephone or video call.
Conclusion
Making friends at university and settling into a new place makes for a wonderful new chapter to make new connections. It’s completely normal to have feelings of excitement, worry and anxiety due to the many changes you’ll be navigating during this time. Remember you aren’t alone in your feelings, and support is always on hand if you find yourself struggling to make new friends and settle in.
