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10 Ways To Beat The Deadly Small Talk And Kickstart Meaningful Conversations With Strangers

Regardless of the setting or company, spice up your first impressions on new people with a spark of real interactions!

Jacqueline Krikorian

Oct 29, 2018

San Diego State University

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10 Ways To Beat The Deadly Small Talk And Kickstart Meaningful Conversations With Strangers

Jacqueline Krikorian

"In the best conversations, you don't even remember what you talked about, only how it felt. It felt like we were in some place your body can't visit, some place with no ceiling and no walls and no floor and no instruments." - John Green

Perhaps you're trying to channel your inner extrovert or just looking to make those group assignments a bit less awkward.

Either way, here's a guide of questions to use in any situation that will reveal a bit more about your friends and future inner circle! From coffee shops to walks between classes, get to know who you're around. Everyone, everywhere knows something that you don't—how cool is that?

1. What was your first job?

Fairly self-explanatory, but a revealing question nonetheless. Learn if it was a family business, a simple summer gig or something completely random.

2. If you had to have dinner with any person dead or alive, who would it be?

All answers to this are sure to spur something and leave you with new knowledge about the person who's answering.

3. If you had one month to yourself, what would you do?

Travel? Escape to the beach? Become a reindeer herder?

4. If you could acquire any skill overnight with no training necessary, what would it be?

No doubt, mine would be the ability to speak every language. Perhaps play every instrument? Develop a cure for disease?

5. What were your career goals when you were growing up?

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From 5-year-old authors to 30-year-old financial advisors, find out your friends' goal transformations!

6. Explain why you love your favorite holiday.

We all love a little Christmas time comfort, but what makes it so special?

7. If you had the ability to build any dream home you could imagine, where would it be and what would it look like?

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Ranch style? Wrap around porch? Mountains? Beach? Suburbs? City?

8. Who is someone you look up to?

Answers will range from Beyoncé to Elon Musk to Gandhi. Embrace the diversity.

9. What's your favorite way to waste time?

Personally, I can maneuver my way through Ellen reruns on Facebook better than most. Also, I have a slight addiction to the blind auditions of The Voice. Hopefully, the answers you receive are a bit better than mine.

10. If you were able to live in another time period, what would you choose?

Think about the big picture! The past is a bit glamorized but is devoid of many human rights we hold today. The future is promising, but a bit daunting.

Well, hopefully, these will help you to spur some real-life conversation. Getting to know the people around us will ultimately allow us to be more empathetic and interesting individuals.

Jacqueline

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Lifestyle

Cool Off with These 8 Beers!

North Carolina State University

899

Summer is hot and humid, and it's almost like summer was made specifically to drink the refreshing, cold, crisp wonderful, delicious, nutritious nectar of the gods. Which is none other than beer; wonderful cold beer. With summer playing peek-a-boo around the corner while we finish up this semester, it's time to discuss the only important part of summer. And if you haven't already guessed, it's beer. There are few things I take more seriously than my beer, in order are: sports... and beer. Here are my favorite summer brews:

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Lifestyle

New England Summers Are The BEST Summers

Why you should spend your next summer in New England.

Saint Joseph's University

5600

www.flickr.com

Three years ago, I chose to attend college in Philadelphia, approximately 360 miles away from my small town in New Hampshire. I have learned many valuable lessons away from home, and have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in Pennsylvania. One thing that my experience has taught me, however, is that it is absolutely impossible to beat a New England summer.

You cannot beat the beach. Believe it or not (which many people may not), New England has a long and beautiful coastline. Most of my high school summers were spent sitting on the Wall at Hampton Beach, getting sunburnt and eating Acai bowls from The Secret Spot. The Wall was the place to be both during the day and at night. We begin our days there with a KB's bagel and coffee, and end them with pizza and ice cream. It’s not a New England summer without that 4 p.m. text from someone, “Who wants to meet at the Wall tonight?” Nighttime is for Tripoli’s Pizza, the sound of waves, and wishes on shooting stars. Wednesday nights are especially important, as those are the nights that Hampton Beach sets off the weekly firework display.

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Recommended for you

10 Ways To Beat The Deadly Small Talk And Kickstart Meaningful Conversations With Strangers

Regardless of the setting or company, spice up your first impressions on new people with a spark of real interactions!

1. What was your first job?

2. If you had to have dinner with any person dead or alive, who would it be?

3. If you had one month to yourself, what would you do?

4. If you could acquire any skill overnight with no training necessary, what would it be?

5. What were your career goals when you were growing up?

6. Explain why you love your favorite holiday.

7. If you had the ability to build any dream home you could imagine, where would it be and what would it look like?

8. Who is someone you look up to?

9. What's your favorite way to waste time?

10. If you were able to live in another time period, what would you choose?

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Cool Off with These 8 Beers!

Coors Light Summer Brew:

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy

Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat

Sam Adams Summer Ale

Hell or High Watermelon

Blue Moon Summer Honey

LandShark Lager

Corona

75 degrees and sunny, plus, no humidity. I mean do I really need to say more?

Perfect Weather

You'll get an effortless tan

You can exercise with a view

You don't have to worry about bug bites

In n Out all day, every day

We have outdoor concerts

We live where people vacation

Because let's be honest, we all use lyrics.

1. “Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside. It's where my demons hide.”

2. “Tonight, we are young.”

3. “Cuz I may be bad, but I’m perfectly good at it.”

4. “Tell me how they got that pretty little face on that pretty little frame.”

5. “I can’t wait to fall in love with you, you can’t wait to fall in love with me.”

6. “Sweatpants, hair tied, chillin with no makeup on.”

7. “Why you so obsessed with me?”

8. “We ain’t ever getting older.”

9. “I didn’t know that I was starving until I tasted you.”

10. “Didn’t they tell you I’m a savage?"

11. “I’m gonna make you miss me.”

12. "Cheers to the freakin weekend.”

13. “Love’s a game. Wanna play?”

14. “You don’t know about me, but I bet you want to.”

15. “Let’s set each other’s lonely nights, Be each other’s paradise.”

16. “Trippin’ on skies, sippin’ waterfalls."

17. “Wish we could turn back time, to the good old days.”

18. “But you will remember me for centuries.”

19. “Something about you makes me feel like a dangerous woman."

20. “Don’t act like it’s a bad thing to fall in love with me.”

21. “Darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.”

22. “Find me where the wild things are.”

23. “I’m high on lovin’ you.”

24. “If you’re gonna be somebody’s heartbreak, somebody’s mistake, if you’re gonna be somebody’s first time, somebody’s last time, be mine.”

25. “Don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled on.”

Everything Bruce says in his classic rock songs.

1. "Talk about a dream Try to make it real You wake up in the night With a fear so real Spend your life waiting For a moment that just don't come Well don't waste your time waiting." (Badlands)

2. "It's a town full of losers/ I'm pulling out of here to win" (Thunder Road)

3. "You've got to learn to live with what you can't rise above" (Tunnel of Love)

4. "I got something in my heart/ I been waitin' to give/ I got a life I wanna start/ One I been waitin' to live" (Leah)

5. “God have mercy on the man/ Who doubts what he’s sure of” (Brilliant Disguise)

7. “Is a dream a lie when it don’t come true, or is it something worse?” (The River)

Why you should spend your next summer in New England.

Want to know more about summer destinations?

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1. "Talk about a dream
Try to make it real
You wake up in the night
With a fear so real
Spend your life waiting
For a moment that just don't come
Well don't waste your time waiting." (Badlands)