No matter whether you live at home or in student accommodation, it’s likely you’ll meet lots of people during your time at university, some of which could become friends for life! If you’re worried about meeting new people and making friends at uni, don’t worry - I’ve provided some tips below that will make this initial phase less daunting.

Don't feel like you need to find a "group" straight away

As soon as you arrive at university, it may feel like the pressure is on to find a group of friends straight away. If you’ve made the decision to stay in halls, this pressure can be even more apparent as your new flatmates are likely to be the first group of students that you’ll meet.

Despite this, it’s important to remember that you’ve got at least three years to meet new people, so, if you don’t find people that you connect with straight away - that’s okay! Make sure you make the effort to get to know people and you’ll be sure to find someone with similar interests in no time.

Make the most of your university's Freshers events and Facebook pages and groups before you arrive

Many universities have dedicated Facebook pages and groups that you can join in the weeks before the new semester begins. This gives you the opportunity to find out what sort of people will be in your halls, on your course and at your university.

If you already know which halls you’ve been placed in, make sure to look for the page for your specific accommodation. With some luck, you’ll be able to find and chat to your new flatmates before you arrive in September! This will help to ease you into your initial meeting and give you something to talk about.

Try to strike up a conversation with new people

One of the easiest ways to make new friends is by talking! This gives you the opportunity to learn more about the people around you whilst allowing them to get to know you too.

So in those first few weeks, don’t be afraid of speaking up and try and initiate conversations with everyone you meet. If you’re naturally introverted or shy this can seem like a daunting task, however, once you’ve done it a few times you’ll become more comfortable speaking to new people. Even better yet, it’s likely that these small conversations will lead to bigger ones, thus laying the foundations for a new friendship.

Simple ways to meet new people...

There are no hard and fast rules for making friends and sometimes it’s just down to being in the right place at the right time. However, there are a few things that you can do to help yourself when you start uni and find people that you connect with. That’s why I’ve put together three easy tips that you can use to meet new people below.

  • Keep your door open during Freshers
    There’s no shame in wanting privacy from time to time, but keeping your door open whilst you’re in your flat during Freshers shows people that you’re an open and welcoming person. It also gives people the opportunity to pop in for a chat, or you spotting them as they walk past - thus giving you the chance to get to know your housemates a little better.
  • Remember that you’re in the same boat as everyone else
    It’s highly likely that other people are just as nervous to start university as you are, so you already share some common ground with your new peers. Keeping this in mind will help to relieve some of the pressure and anxiety that often comes with making new friends.
  • Volunteer or join a society
    If you’ve got a hobby or pastime, joining a society is a great way to find other people with the same interests as you! Not only this, but many societies host regular socials and events, so you’ll have lots of other occasions to get to know people and gel as a group.

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