HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS IN COLLEGE
I know many of you are waiting to join college or are in college and they are trying all ways and means to make and retain friends or still are wondering whether they will ever makes friends.
When I got admitted in n college I virtually knew anyone and I felt like a total stranger in a foreign country yet i was in my own country. I knew there and then that if i was to make it through smoothly I had to find ways of making and retaining friends.
Complied hereunder is a list of the steps I took and believe me they worked and believe they can work for you too.
KNOW YOUR ROOMMATES AND NEIGHBORS.
These are usually the first people you get to know when you get admitted. Get to know your roommates and find appropriate topics, maybe a game that you can play together. Secondly get to know people who live next door
SPEAK TO YOUR CLASSMATES
These are the people you will spend more of your college life with. You have a lot you will share in common and hence to talk about. Introduce yourself to them, ask them how the class was, and whether they have interesting material with regard to the subjects etc. you never know where the conversation leads to.
JOIN CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS
This is usually a good opportunity to meet friends you share ideas, interests, and passion with. Establish your favorite club be it Drama, Dancing, Counselor or favorite game be it Football, volleyball, chess, pool and join and participate fully. You will be surprised at how fast you are making friends.
ATTEND GAMES AND OTHER SOCIAL EVENTS
All year round during the campus life there is more than one activity taking place at the campus. Maybe it’s an Open tournament. Attend these events and you will get a chance to interact with many people during cheering for your respective teams.Don't miss attending social events like Miss College event that’s held yearly. This gives you an opportunity to meet new friends.
ATTEND STUDY GROUPS.
It’s hard not to get to know someone over long hours of turning over class material or preparing for an exam. In your down time, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to chat and get to know one another — maybe even to grab a study break over a coffee or a quick bite to eat. Study groups also offer a no-pressure opener: You’re there to study, so you don’t have to feel pressured to come up with conversation starters. You can just let the conversation develop organically between discussion questions.
VOLUNTEER.
Not only will you be helping those in need, but you’ll also be meeting new people (maybe fellow students, and maybe not). You’ll be able to bond over your interest in the group for which you’re volunteering, and you know you have a shared commitment to volunteer work. You’ll likely discover that you have much more in common.
GO HIGH-TECH.
Many students are already on social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, and many of them affiliate their profiles with the schools they attend. Search for classmates through these sites and browse profiles to find students who share your interests.I have made over 100 friends by using facebook.
DON'T GIVE UP.
Freshman year is a major change and many people flip out and give up. Many freshman still haven't left their nest and the transition from being with close friends, siblings, or with their parents to a new environment might be difficult. This usually happen with students that go to college that is far away from home. Don't let this happen to you. It may take an entire year before you really start meeting people. Usually most college students that are not in sports, music or theater, or in some technical program don't meet people really well until sophomore and even junior year! Realize that once you have a major targeted (or are in a technical program or trade) and are done with your general classes, you'll find several people who have a similar schedule. This eases the friend-making process tenfold. If you are taking generals, try to have a path too in your major so you can easily meet people with common goals and interests.
TALK TO PEOPLE.
You cant get people to talk to you if yourself you don't want to talk to them.Again You can't make many new friends while sitting in a dark corner of the library unless there are other people just like you sitting in the dark corner of the library. Ask people who take classes with you questions about the material covered. Even if you don't have a question, classwork is a great icebreaker. Other great conversation starters are upcoming events and holidays/vacations, sports, food, music, etc. State the obvious too. Usually when you are eating, you talk about food and if you hear music, you automatically talk about music.
EAT IN THE CAFETERIA.
Or other favorite places to eat lunch on campus. Strike up a conversation with students at the tables around you, or ask to join a group at a table that has room.You may strike conversation ranging from