Many of the people you meet at university have the potential to become lifelong friends. Not only are they the people with whom you spend your early years of independent “life away from home”, but they are often linked through shared interests, the same course and career trajectory, or shared housing solutions.
With university friends primed to become friends for life, it’s important therefore that you build yourself a supportive circle of people who you can trust and who support you in all areas of university life.
And in this article, we’re sharing some advice and tips on how to build this kind of reliable and sustainable network.
Treat Others as You Hope to be Treated
It’s a lesson we all learn when we start school and first interact with new people, yet it’s something that many people could do with being reminded of every once in a while. And what better time to remember this than when building a life for yourself at university?
Treating others in the way that you too would hope to be treated is unarguably the best way to build a supportive circle to fall back on. The energy that you give to others will be reflected in what you get back, so it’s important to always be kind, patient, and understanding. Be the person who you would want to become friends with, and you will attract the right people into your social circle.
Seek Out Shared Interests
When it comes to actually finding friends and starting conversations with new people, shared interests are an easy place to start.
Whether you approach people at a club or society event, strive to make friends with others on your course, or look for shared interests among those who you are sharing an apartment block or housing solution with, finding common ground will invite conversation and will help you to build connections in a way that feels effortless.
Making friends early on can also make these ventures and different activities at university more enjoyable and can help you to become and feel more committed early on.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Unfortunately, making friends as a young adult is harder than making friends in your early days of childhood, largely because many of us feel more self-conscious as we get older and are less likely to go up to and start conversations with people who we don’t know.
Having said that, the best and often the only way to make friends is to think and act outside of your comfort zone, start conversations, and have the confidence to go looking for people to connect with.
Friends won’t just appear or come to you without a little effort on your part too.
Attend Events and Workshops
This follows on from the former point on seeking out shared interests but takes the next step in terms of being proactive. When it comes to making friends and actually identifying those with whom you hold common interests, you need to actively attend events, workshops, and society nights where others like you will be.
It’s one thing to join the tennis club or sign up for the geology society, but unless you attend the events and sessions that these clubs host, you cannot hope to meet and build connections with other like minded individuals who have joined.
Be Yourself
Being your genuine and authentic self is the only way to build relationships that will last at university. The challenges of juggling the social side with coursework and exams, not to mention the demands of being away from home, will soon break down boundaries that stand between you and the version of yourself that you think is more enticing to potential friends.
Being yourself from day one is the only way to find people who are a good fit for you in terms of friendships.
Think Outside of University
While there are plenty of ways to meet people within the university curriculum and boundaries, the beauty of attending university is that you also have time to explore interests and other things outside of your chosen uni.
For example, you might decide to join a local gym or get a job in a local shop or café. You might sign up for local community events or clubs that aren’t linked with the university, or simply find peace in going for walks in the local area. All of these activities present opportunities to make friends outside of university, enriching your student life even more.
Be an Ear for Others
It’s great to have a solid circle of friends when you need support – just like it’s great to be the support that someone else needs, when they need it.
If and when you have the chance to be an ear to others, our advice is to take it. Doing so will only serve to strengthen your bond and allow them to see you as someone to be trusted – hopefully able to offer you the same support when you need it.
How to Make the Most of University Life
By far the best thing about university is the people you meet along the way. Not all of them will be friends, and not all of your friends will last the test of time outside of university. However, it’s the people who you connect with that will have the greatest lasting impact on your life and will turn from coursemates or house buddies into friends for life.
Finding your tribe requires some confidence and a desire and ability to be open and authentic. If you can do that, we foresee some wonderful friendships in your future as a student!
