nipponomia

How to Meet People in College

Books in bookshelf in library
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?

Event dialogue lecture human cooperation listen to

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…

Close up portrait of a young woman typing a text message on mobile phone

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.

Desk working notes meeting

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.

Woman eating mexican food in restaurant

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.

Chafing dish buffet eat restaurant celebration

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.

2 friends toasting with beer bottles in meadow at sunset

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.

About The Author

nipponomiaCo-Founder, Writerヒデノリ
平成生まれ。東京出身。
中学で英語に目覚め、アメリカ留学に興味を持つ。
高校卒業後渡米し、パブリック・アイビーの1つにも数えられるアメリカの名門州立校にて数学を専攻、オールA卒業。

現在は、シリコンバレーにて某世界的IT企業本社勤務。趣味はロッククライミング。

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Hidenori

Born and raised in Tokyo. Moved to MN at the age of 19.
Having survived four winters there, I have moved to California.

Currently working as a software engineer in the Bay area.

I enjoy rock climbing, and I love traveling abroad! My profile picture was taken in Morocco :)

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