Student Blog Squad

How to make friends at university

Hi, my name is Laura and I’m a PR student here at Leeds Beckett. I know how some people can feel nervous about joining university and make friends. So, in this blog I’ve listed a few handy tips to help you if you looking for some inspiration on how to make new friends.

Group of people city campus

I think one of the best things about uni is the people you meet. However, I know how it feels when you start university for the first time and you don’t know anyone. I’ve made friends through my halls, sports, socials and my course, there’s so many opportunities to meet people in so many different situations. In this blog, I’ll be sharing my personal experience with making friends at uni to help you.

Meeting new people at the Freshers events

Making friends in the first week of uni during Freshers week events might make you feel a little bit nervous, but everyone is in the same boat as you. I think attending social events is a great way to meet people and have fun. Whether you're a non-drinker or prefer pubs to clubs, there are events for everyone to get involved in, from nights out to city tours and vintage clothing sales!

I enjoy going on nights out, so I was very excited about experiencing Leeds nightlife. I'm in my third year of university now and the majority of my friendship group is made up of those people I met on my first Freshers night out. On the first night, my new flatmate introduced me to his girlfriend and their friends who lived in the flat below ours.

We all went out together to a Freshers event, it was really fun getting to know new people and have fun together in a new city.

We all clicked and after this ended up making more plans together, including going to the Freshers Fair and exploring campus. Doing these things together helped us to get to know each other better, as we got chatting about our lives back home and the courses we were all studying.

Joining a sports team and a society

For me, getting involved in sports has been a great way to meet new people and keep fit at the same time. LBU has many professional and social sports teams, including in sports like netball, football, gymnastics, and dance. I decided that I wanted to be a bit more involved with the social side of uni and get to know other people through sport. So, I joined the netball team. I've made some great friends and love all of the fun weekly socials that are organised outside of our Thursday training sessions. Our last social started as a gathering at my teammate’s house and then turned into a pub crawl through Headingley. We ended the night at Headingley Taps for the notorious Taps Thursday, where the atmosphere’s always lively and it’s student budget friendly too!

 

 

If you’re not the sporty type, don’t worry, there are many societies you can join. If you don't see one you like on the SU website then you can even set up your own. I'm currently part of the Events Society, which is a group for Events Management students. The society leaders regularly organise lots of exciting activities for us to get involved in - recently there’s been a self-defence class, pub crawls and adult soft play sessions.

Joining the Events Society has been a great opportunity for me to get to know people on my course outside of lectures and just have some fun away from all my deadlines. 

The last event I attended was the black and white themed party in Manahatta cocktail bar. As the name suggests, all attendees dressed up in black and white - it was definitely a night to remember.

Closeup of cocktails being held by two women engaging in a conversation

Cocktails are always a good idea

Striking up a conversation with my course mates

Saying hello to a friendly face at the start of your lectures is the perfect way to start building new connections. As you can't have an in-depth chat during the lecture, you could suggest grabbing a coffee or going for lunch afterward to get to know them better.

During one of our first lectures, someone from my course suggested that we all go out for lunch. This was a great idea as it enabled us all to chat to each other in a much more relaxed setting. I also discovered that one of my course mates lived in the same halls as me. We then started meeting up and walking to our lectures together. Chatting to each other on the way to uni definitely helped us get closer to each other and when we had to do group work on our course, we already knew we’d get on well when working together.

For me, making friends on my course is something I appreciate because it’s given me a support system for when we’re working through essays and uni work. I’m very glad that I went to that first lunch at Wetherspoons and started getting to know my course mates.

Leeds Beckett reusable cups in R.B.Espresso, coffee shop in the Rose Bowl, City Campus

There's plenty of cafes to grab a coffee or bite to eat on campus

Getting involved in volunteering and extracurricular activities

I really enjoy getting involved in extracurricular activities and doing some volunteer work as well. Especially because it means I get to meet new people. A lot of the activities and volunteering I’ve got involved in is through my course and the university. Last summer I participated in the LBU Social Impact Programme, part of this involved volunteering at a retail shop where I met some lovely people. 

This helped me to widen my network outside of LBU as I got to know Leeds locals who aren’t students. 

 Through Leeds Beckett, I’ve also undertaken a Level 2 Qualification in Effective Mentoring and Leadership which saw me mentoring a fellow student from the Business School. Not only did this allow me to get an extra qualification, but it also meant I made a great friend. We still keep in touch and we’re planning to meet up again very soon when we’re back on campus. On top of all this I work as a Student Ambassador and I’ve met lots of new people through this role. If you’re interested in what opportunities are out there I’d suggest keeping an eye on your MyHub notifications, as lots of local charities and organisations advertise their volunteering here. For those who may not know. MyHub is your online access to student services at Leeds Beckett University and you'll find lots of notifications are sent through here.

Overall, uni has been a great place for me to meet friends. I feel lucky to now have such a solid circle of people around me. I hope this blog has shown you there’s many different ways to meet new people and make friends for life like I have.

Laura G

Hi, I'm Laura, a PR student here at LBU. Outside of university my interests include fitness, socialising with friends and traveling (anything that benefits my wellbeing really). I’m passionate about spreading positivity and enjoy motivating people so that they can become the best version of themselves!

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