How To Make Friends In College | 11 Tips For Making Friends In College Every Student Should Do

This post is all about how to make friends in college.

I cannot even describe the range of emotions I was feeling when I graduated high school and thought about going to college. I would say 80% of it was being excited for a new chapter but the other 20% was me being scared out of my mind that I would hate it and want to go home.

 Leaving my hometown friends was really hard and I remember thinking I was going to have no friends once I went to school. Clearly that was me being overdramatic but it's hard not to be afraid of having no friends in a new place!

Meeting new people ended up being so much fun. You will quickly find out it's a lot easier to make friends in college than you thought. But, that being said here are a few tips I would suggest doing if you're trying to figure out how to make friends in college.

This post is all about how to make friends in college.

How To Make Friends In College:

1. Keep Your Dorm Door Open

One of the best ways to make friends as a freshman in college is to leave your dorm door open. I honestly wish I had done this more because I heard of so many people making friends that first week. This is especially good to do the first few weeks of school when everyone is actively trying to make new friends.

I was a little confused on how this helped people make friends but people said they would have girls and guys stop by a room with an open door, make small talk and then just keep hanging out there. It's a super great way to seem "open" (literally) to making new friends and will make it look like anyone is welcome!

One of my biggest tips is getting a door stopper right away when moving into the dorms. This way it's super easy to always have your door propped open! 

2. Make Conversation With Everyone

I know small talk isn't anyone's favorite thing to do but you have to start somewhere! Whether it's in an elevator, in class, at a bar, etc, talk to anyone and everyone you see. I will never forget the girl who met me in an elevator for the first time, made small talk and immediately invited me to her room.

Being the first one to start conversation can be scary but it's so worth it! Seriously, you never know who you are going to meet.

3. Ask Someone In Class If They Want To Study Together

This is kind of an obvious way to make friends in college but it's really effective! The first day of class I always tried to start up a conversation with the person I was sitting next to. As school goes on you can keep sitting by them and ask if they want to grab coffee and study for your exam. There's no better bonding for students then complaining about studying right?!

4. Reach Out To People First Even If You Don't Know Them Well Yet

Reaching out to people first was something I honestly wasn't the best at but totally wish I had done more. I had a few girls at the beginning of the semester reach out to me on Snapchat and invite me to hang out when we had only met once. It made me feel so good to feel wanted somewhere and that someone was trying to form a friendship with me even though we had only met once before.

Don't be afraid of looking "weird" or "clingy" because honestly everyone is looking for friends and will be so happy to be invited.

5. Join A Club Or Greek Life

Joining a club or greek life on your college campus is the go-to way for making friends. Joining something you are interested in like a biking club or a sorority/fraternity that supports a philanthropy you are passionate about will automatically place you in a group of people that have similar interests as you! Finding common ground with a group of people is always a great way to form a connection.

6. Ask To Sit With Someone

When eating at your dining hall or sorority/frat house always find someone to sit with. Now if they look deep into studying for an exam, maybe don't bother them. But, if there is someone alone or even with another group don't be afraid to ask to sit by them! 

7. Make Friends Through Social Media

If we're being honest here, we all know it's easier to make friends behind a screen than in person. If you're more of the shy type that has a hard time going up to people and starting a conversation, beginning a friendship through social media may be a lot easier! Start commenting on people's Instagrams, or sliding up on their story! This will most likely start a conversation that isn't just small talk and will be a lot more natural. 

My go-to was always sliding up on peoples stories on snapchat and then starting streaks with them to keep conversation going! I promise no freshman in college will think it's weird if you ask to hangout after Snapchatting for a couple days. Like I said before, everyone is looking for friends in college.

8. Compliment People

I mean... who doesn't like compliments?! This is a super easy and nice way of starting a conversation with someone! During my sorority rush I would go up to girls, compliment them on something, ask where something was from, etc. and it always led to a conversation!

9. Be Nice To Everyone

This goes for literally any college student. Be nice to everyone you see. You never know who your next best friend could be! 

On a more serious note though, by being rude, exclusive, or mean to someone not only ruins your chances of making a new friend but also reflects bad on you. The last thing you want is to have bad things going around about you that could make others avoid you.

10. Be Yourself

I know I know, cheesy. You have heard it a million times but it's especially true in college. Being yourself is the best advice I can give to an incoming freshman. I spent so much time before college trying to fit in or be someone I wasn't which only left me with fake friendships. College is the time to find who you really are so don't waste time pretending to be someone you aren't! By being yourself you will attract others who are similar and have a better chance of finding true friends.

11. Losing Friends Is Okay

I know this is pretty much the opposite of advice on how to make friends in college but losing friends is something that is so normal at school which I was not prepared for. I started out the year with a huge group of girls (many different groups in fact) and it stayed that way for a few months. But as the year goes on, you bond more or less with others and your group will start to get smaller. This is totally okay and normal!

I definitely went through a period where I felt like I had no friends at school and most people I have talked to said the exact same thing their freshman year. There are thousands of people in college so meeting your lifelong best friends freshman year doesn't always happen! Just know a ton of other people feel the same way you do so don't stop trying.

This post was all about how to make friends in college.