It is not always easy to adjust to the difference between college and high school. Some classes might have hundreds of people in it. You might have more homework. If you have
moved to another city, you might not know anyone in the entire school! Or even worse, if you have moved to another state, you might not know anyone in the entire state! I moved to attend college in the US all the way from Japan, so I didn’t know anyone in the entire country! It took some time before I got used to the life here, but when I graduated I had a lot of friends and I am happy that I have met each one of them. Throughout college, there were a few things that helped me meet more people in a short period of time, and I would like to share them with you.
First, you need to meet people. How do you do that in college?
Talk to someone next to you in a class
Surprisingly enough, I met some of the closest friends this way. The first guy I met in my first class at college knew a lot of people in the city, so I made a lot of friends through him. We hung out a lot, and I ended up taking a road trip with them to Yellowstone! This is an extreme example, but you can certainly meet a lot of people this way. Ask something simple about the class before it starts. Something simple like “Did you do homework?” will do. If they seem to be responsive, just start asking more like what they study, where they live, where they are from…
Ask for their contacts
Asking their numbers is really important because you cannot make plans with them if you can’t contact them. As obvious as it might sound, I often forget this. You don’t want to appear weird when asking for their number though. You will come across as a creep if you just ask their number out of nowhere. The easiest way is to plan something first (like work on homework together) and ask for their numbers so you can call/text when necessary.
Do homework together
If you are doing homework anyway, why not do it with someone to get to know them? If you are smart, you might be able to help the other person. Explaining stuff helps you understand it better. If you are not doing good in the class, they might be able to help you out. If you have missed a few lectures, you can ask them to share their notes.
Never eat lunch alone
This is the easiest and most effective way to get to know people. No one likes to eat lunch by themselves. Simply ask someone you know if they would like to have lunch together. It is easy and casual. Personally, I found it best to text around noon and be like “Hey, wanna get lunch?” or simply “Lunch?”. I would usually just go eat by myself if I don’t get response in 20 minutes or so. Lunch is good because it gives you a chance to get to know other people, but it doesn’t get too awkward if you don’t happen to have anything in common.
Go to some events hosted by student organizations
This is a great way to meet people outside of your major. I know some people think they are too cool for events like that, but they are missing out so much. You can meet people with common interests, and if you really like the organization and the people, you can join them. In my senior year, I was Vice President of a student organization, and that was a great way to meet more people.
Hang out with them outside school
This is what I really enjoy the most about having friends. A lot of my friends and I like drinking, so we often just hit the bar about twice a week. We talk about everything, and I got really close with them. I had to go to Chicago one time because my passport was expiring, and my friends and I made a trip out of it.
Making friends is not always easy especially if you have a lot to deal with as a college student. But, you are going to spend 4 years of your life in college, so your best bet is to try to meet more people and make the best out of it.
