International Friendship Day: Why making friends at uni is easier than you think

Feeling anxious about making friends at university is normal, and we’ve all been there - but it doesn't have to be that way. In celebration of International Friendship Day, Hazel’s here to explain why making friends at uni will be easier than you think.

From meeting your flatmates for the first time to going to your first lecture with a load of strangers, those first days of university can be the hardest of all. I mean, forget exams and coursework, wondering whether you’re actually going to make those vital social links is damn near terrifying!

The good news is that making friends is actually a lot easier than you think. That’s why, to celebrate International Friendship Day, I’m here to help you tackle some of your worries.

Everyone’s in the same boat

You’ll hear this a lot when you’re heading off to university, but it’s probably one of the main things to bear in mind in those early days: everyone’s in the same boat. Unless you just happen to know people from your college who are going to the same uni, the likelihood is that you’re not going to know anyone when you head to campus.

The thing is no one else knows anyone either.

So nearly all of you are going to be feeling those same jitters about walking into a lecture for the first time or trying to make small talk with the flatmates over that first cup of tea.

This means everyone is essentially starting from the same place – and it’s actually something you can bond over. Be honest with people and tell them that you’re a little nervous, and you’ll no doubt be hearing the same back.

What you can do: Participate in tours and courses

Starting my course I felt hopelessly lost. The course was extremely small, with only 10 participants and it seemed as though everyone had already found their groups.

During the first weeks, my accommodation offered different events to participate in, such as trips, movie nights and courses. I decided to take part in a CPR-course. While there I started talking to a girl I thought looked nice and it turned out that she was from Germany as well. We bonded immediately and met regularly to go out, cook or just talk.

Freshers’ week of fun

Freshers’ week is made up of a series of events specifically designed to help students meet each other and make friends. From the Freshers’ Fair, where you’ll be able to find out about all the societies at your uni, to bar crawls and student union parties, there’s something for everyone.

So, whether you’re the type of person who makes friends easier over a beer, or you’re desperate to meet other skiers through the university’s snow sports society, you’ll no doubt find your kin during these initial events. The fun isn’t limited to just the first couple of weeks, though, and you’ll find numerous union and society events are held throughout the year.

What you can do: Join a society to enjoy sports and company

Over the years, I have tried different sports offered by the universities, including yoga, HIIT-classes and lacrosse. The first two I practised more or less on my own, but lacrosse was a great sport for meeting new people.

In general, team-sports are perfect for making friends as you are forced to communicate with others. Plus, if the team is great, you might even hang out after training. We regularly met at the weekends to go out or to celebrate a birthday.

It not only helped me to hang out with new people, but also to bond more with my best friend, who I met in my first days at uni. She introduced me to the sport and we found that it was another interest we had in common.

Friends for life

It sounds like a total cliché but those friends you make at university will become friends for life. A lot of this is because you’re likely to meet a lot of people with the same interests as you, especially if they’re doing your course.

But the other thing is that, particularly with your flatmates, you will go through so much together over three years that they will eventually become like family. Take me, for example; I moved into my first university flat ten years ago, and now I’m about to be a bridesmaid at my flatmate’s wedding.

Sure, it won’t be the same for everyone and you may end up living with some people you don’t like (I’ve been there, too), but, more often than not, there will usually be at least one person you click with.

What you can do: Talk to strangers

It may sound simple, but sometimes it takes courage to talk to strangers. It’s something I get nervous about when doing it out of the blue, but I’ve really benefited from it in the past. After work one day, a girl came up to me in a retail store and said she liked my outfit, so we started talking.

The Saturday after, we met for coffee and we’ve been friends ever since, even though she is from another continent. As easy as that, I had found a friend to go to the museum or start a hobby with.

There are lots of different ways to meet new friends. From experience, few people stuck with me from the start until graduation. But the good thing was that I made other friends along the way, ones I may even appreciate more and continue to see to this day. It only takes a little courage to start a conversation.