When asking a group of soon-to-be freshmen in college what they were the most excited for, 90 percent of the time they would say, "To meet new people" or "Making friends".
When asking a group of soon-to-be freshmen what they were the most nervous for, 90 percent of the time they would say the same.
College is the time in our lives when we get to re-invent ourselves. All of the mistakes and embarrassing stories from the high school years can be left behind and everyone gets a clean slate. Although this is exciting, some might find it terrifying to say goodbye to their friends and to start from scratch. The truth is, making new friends is hard if you are not in the perfect environment for it. The environment you are in determines the kind of friends you will make.
Meeting new people means getting out of your comfort zone and doing things you typically wouldn't. In college, if you get involved in more clubs and activities you are bound to make friends more easily. You are essentially surrounding yourself with people who have similar interests as you and putting the odds in your favor.
If you never go to classes and the only time you leave your residence is to go out and party, chances are you will be meeting a lot of party people. I don't mean that people who like to go out are stupid, I just mean to say that the people who attend class on a regular basis are the ones who are on the right path. If you surround yourself with those kind of people, you will be more like them.
Something that is important to remember: relax. This isn't a job interview or sorority recruitment, you are just getting to know people. It is easy to stress or worry about making friends, but you have to remember that you aren't going to click with every person you meet.
My freshman year of high school, I didn't know a lot of the people because I went to a private school in junior high. In the beginning, I was so afraid of not having friends that I was always on edge and had a hard time being myself. As the years went on, I became more confident in who I was. By my senior year, I stopped caring so much about if everyone liked me, and more if the people who mattered did.
There are probably hundreds of books and articles that give tips and tricks on how to make people like you more, but the reality is that all you can do is be yourself. Of course you should be polite and thoughtful toward others, but the worst thing you can do is hide who you really are. Maybe this is just me, but I would rather have three real friends than a thousand fake ones. I have a really goofy personality and sometimes when I think something is REALLY funny, other people don't. And thats okay, because someday you will come across someone who is laughing with tears in their eyes right next to you, and that is how you know you just found your new best friend.
