5 Ways to Quickly Make Friends at University
If you are just starting out at university then read our latest blog post for our top tips on how to quickly make friends!
Starting university is both the most exciting and daunting prospect; you’re starting the next chapter of your life with a whole new level of independence, you’re going to study a subject you love and you’re going to spend the next year living life to the full but before all that good stuff starts, you’re going to be moving into a small flat with a bunch of people you don’t know and you’re going to have to become best friends and quick.
The thought of making friends with both your flatmates and classmates when you start university is definitely one of the most nerve-wracking parts, so we’ve put together 5 top ways to make friends at university that will last for life.
Make the Effort to Socialise
Even if you are the ultimate home bird who really has no interest in partying or socialising as a whole, if you want to make friends at uni, you need to make the effort to socialise.
Whether it’s heading to the parties in Freshers’ Week, going out for lunch with your flatmates or simply joining everyone for a cup of tea in the kitchen, you need to go the extra mile to get involved with your peers in the first couple of weeks to help you build friendships fast.
You can’t make friends whilst hiding in your bedroom!
Be Open Minded
You’re going to come across a very eclectic mix of people at university, so going into situations with a closed mind isn’t going to help you mingle and overall, is going to make finding friends difficult.
People can sense if they’re being judged or if someone doesn’t like them and it’s a guaranteed way to stop a friendship blossoming, so be open-minded and give everyone you meet a fair chance, they could turn out to be one of your closest friends in a few months’ time!
As well as being open-minded, you need to be the realest version of yourself from the start. There’s no point faking it to try and make friends, you can’t keep up an act forever, so be true to yourself and let people become friends with the real you!
Have Sweets on Hand to Break the Ice
Everyone loves sweets. Even people who claim ‘they don’t have a sweet tooth’ can’t resist a vintage jar of sweets or personalised sweet box when it’s offered to them, so having sweets on hand to offer round is the perfect way to break the ice.
Not only is it a kind gesture to think of your new flatmates and bring some treats for you all, you can also use the sweets to help start conversations and generally ease the awkwardness of those first few encounters.
Our retro sweet taster jar is the perfect option when it comes to offering sweets around as there’s bound to be something to suit everyone – the ultimate way to make friends!
Join a Club
The people living in your flat are not the only people you can make friends with. There’ll be people on your course that could potentially become your close friends but if you really want to put yourself out there and make as many mates as possible, joining a club or two is a great way to do so.
Yes, you’ll have a lot of work at university but you’ll also have plenty of free time, so joining a club that you’re interested in won’t only keep you busy but will also help you meet even more people, meaning the people you live with won’t be your only friends.
Be Generous – Within Reason
Not with money because you’re all in the same boat financially but if you want to make friends at university and you want to make them quickly, you need to be generous.
Generous when it comes to putting the kettle on, generous when it comes to sharing your stuff and just generally, don’t be that flatmate that locks themselves away and just fends for themselves, that’s an easy way to make enemies.
You don’t have to become a walk in wardrobe or stationary shop for all your mates to help themselves but just make sure you’re generous in any way you can be because that’s a quality that will attract friends.
If you’re heading off to university this year, we wish you the best of luck and hopefully, these top 5 tips for making friends will help you settle in quickly!
Don’t forget to pack plenty of sweets – some to share and some to hide in your very own secret stash!
