Want long-lasting college friendships? Here’s how to make sure that happens!

This post is all about how to make friends in college.

I’m going to be honest and say that it wasn’t the easiest thing for me to make friends in college. I had a lot going on at the time. I was super focused on my grades and my finances. Figuring out how to make friends in college kind of slipped to the back of my mind.

I still made friends, of course. But since freshman year, I’ve learned exactly what I could have done to have a smoother journey in the ‘friends’ department and how I could have formed stronger friendships earlier on.

In the end, meeting new people was one of my favourite things about freshman year. Even though my focus was elsewhere, it’s nearly impossible not to make friends in college. But that being said, I know freshman year can be filled with nerves and uncertainties, so I want to make sure you avoid the hassle that I went through when it comes to making friends in college.

This post is all about how to make friends in college.

HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS IN COLLEGE:

1. Make your dorm a go-to hangout spot

Make sure people know that they’re welcome in your dorm room! Many people on campus will leave their dorm room doors open for the first couple weeks of the semester to let other people know that they’re welcome to stop by and chat. You can also welcome friends into your dorm room by asking them to come with when you need to go grab something, asking them to stop by after class, or even just introducing yourself to people by letting them know what dorm room you live in.

I know it sounds weird, but it’s pretty normal on campus to let people know where to find you, or who your roommate is. This is one great topic of conversation for small talk and it will get you and your peers comfortable with each other.

Also, if you’re walking back to your dorm room and you see somebody in the hallway, say hi to them and introduce yourself! You can ask if they live in your building and just make small talk. Everyone does it, especially in the first couple weeks, so don’t be shy.

2. Give out compliments like Halloween candy

This is kind of an obvious one, because I feel like we’re all naturally inclined to do this….

• “I love your shirt, where’d you get it?”
• “Oh my gosh, those earrings are amazing.”
• “You did amazing on that presentation. How did you think of that topic?”
• “The point you brought up in class was so insightful. I never would have thought of that!”

It may sound cliche, but it really is a natural thing (especially for us ladies). You might think it sounds shallow, but it’s a great conversation starter. Giving out a compliment almost never ends with just the compliment. Usually, it leads into a more interesting conversation.

A compliment never hurts anybody, so what’s the harm in trying?

3. Join school social media groups

Usually, colleges have social media groups and pages where you can join and connect with other students. Facebook pages usually allow you to ask questions and make posts to all other students, and sometimes people post their Instagram handles there and create group chats with people in their program. 

Before my freshman year started, I joined my school’s Facebook group and there were lots of people introducing themselves by posting. They would say their name, program, where they’re from, and their Instagram handle.

But I had no clue that freshmen were making Instagram group chats during the summer until a friend told me months later. I felt so left out! I was oblivious to the fact that a bunch of other freshmen followed each other on Instagram and created group chats to talk to each other before school started. This left me feeling like everyone had a head start at making friends.

So, join any social media groups that you can and follow/message people on Instagram! If you don’t know of any group chats, you can even be the one to take the initiative to start one.

[RELATED POST — First Year at College Advice: 50 Lessons for College Freshmen]

4. Join clubs on campus

Okay, this one is pretty obvious. One of the best ways to make friends is to join clubs on campus! This tip truly won’t fail you.

5. Don’t feel like you need to be close with EVERYONE

This is much easier said than done! It’s hard when you see so many friend groups that you could be a part of. But if you try stretching yourself too thin, you’ll end up with a bunch of shallow friendships instead of finding some long-lasting friends. So, don’t feel bad if you can’t hang out with everyone. Go with the flow as much as you have to.

6. Be open to the unexpected

Your friends might not be the people you’d initially expected, but that’s the best part. At orientation, you might be practically attached at the hip to someone you really click with but then end up drifting into different friend groups later in the semester. Go with the flow and don’t desperately try to hold onto anyone. The best friends are the unexpected ones that you didn’t think much of the first time you saw the person.

One of the friends from college that I talk to most now was someone that I barely interacted with all freshman year. They were in some of my classes and we talked or joked around here and there, but it wasn’t until the summer after freshman year that we ended up actually staying in contact and becoming more solid friends.

7. Don’t be intimidated if you see your friends with other friends

In freshman year, I made the mistake of seeing a friend hang out with a group of people I didn’t recognize, and assuming that meant that we weren’t actually great friends. That’s so not true! People hang around all different kinds of groups in college because you have to make different friends in every class so that you always have someone to stick with. So don’t get discouraged if you see a friend hanging out with a group of people you don’t know. This isn’t high school; you won’t know everyone and that’s okay. And it definitely doesn’t mean that your friends aren’t your real friends.

What friend-making tips do you have?

This post was all about how to make friends in college.

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