For many people just starting out at college, the pressure is on to make some fast friends for life. All around you, it can feel like people are finding their groups, and if you’re starting to feel a little sidelined, panic can set in. However, you don’t need to find your close friends in the first year of college, and despite appearances, many people don’t. If your social situation is getting you down, check out these hints and tips on how to make meaningful friendships at college that last beyond the first week.
Follow Your Interests
Whether you need to join a college social group focussed around your interests, or check out a local community group which will contain people from outside of the college, sticking with what interests you is a great way to make meaningful, deep friendships. You can bond over your shared interests before moving beyond this into a deeper level of trust as you get to know each other better.
Keep It Broad
Rather than narrowing your focus down to only hang out with one group of people, join in with as many social activities as you can. This will allow you to meet a broad range of people, and it also means that if one person or group cancels, you will have other options lined up. Speaking with a range of people will further hone and develop your social skills, meaning that when it comes to making friends, you will feel confident and relaxed.
Prioritize Friends
Once you have started developing friendships with people you genuinely like and admire, you need to make sure that you are spending enough time with these people to allow your friendships to grow and mature. Cancelling once or twice is fine and sometimes unavoidable, but if you keep bailing on meet ups, the chances are your new friends will start to move on to someone new.
