When Zoom school started, I thought it was the end of my social life. Having just transferred schools and moved to New York, I had just barely started making friends in person. But it was abruptly cut short when COVID forced us inside and away from each other. However, by the time this past semester ended, I ended up making more connections than I had in the one full semester I had spent in-person. While online classes can be frustrating and and feel unnatural, with a little more effort, they don't have to be lonely. For any freshmen, new transfers, or students who miss the in person environment, here are a few ways to connect with your peers during these unusual times.

1. Start a class group chat

Where in-person classes have the benefit of those five to ten minutes before and after class for chatting, online classes are a bit more awkward. It's difficult to get to know your lecture neighbor when you're alone in your room. This physical distance can feel very isolating, but just being able to text your classmates can help make you feel closer to them. Ask your professor if you can put your email in the chat during a lesson and propose a GroupMe or Whatsapp group. This gives much more depth and connection with the faces on the screen you see every class.

2. Take advantage of ice breakers

While ice breakers may have been tedious in the past, they're much more useful in an environment where one on one contact with your peers is very limited. Since we can't talk to people before or after class in privacy, this is a great opportunity to show yourself past the image that everyone else sees on their screens!

3. Stay close with your major

Now that we're entering our third semester of online classes, you might start to recognize people from previous classes! Keeping up with people you aren't seeing everyday is crucial to staying in contact. Since we're no longer able to run into other people in person, these online connections are more important than ever. It might feel a little weird to make a web of connections without meeting someone in person, but with internet access and our generation's penchant for social media, making friends in online classes only needs that initial push.