Are you a freshman in college looking for new friends, or have you been in college for a while and still have hard time connecting to people? Here are some tips I think will be helpful for you in making friends and deep connections with people:

1. Be Yourself

I know this sounds very cliché, but why don't you just take a moment and hear me out? What I mean when I say this is not to go out there and act whichever way you want. That's being self-centered. Instead, here's what I'm proposing: Try to show people who you really are, not who you think you should be in order to fit it. Being vulnerable can be tough and hard to deal with, but that's how you stay true to yourself, or as the cool kids like to call it, "keeping it real". People will get to see the real you, which is as beautifully unique as each individual, and love you for who you are

2 . The "Old John" Prinicple

I read this somewhere a while ago, and I really liked what this principle brings to the table. It basically goes like this: When meeting someone new, it is hard to connect with them since you've just met, and there's no chemistry or feelings between you, too; so the principle tells you to treat that person as if he's your old friend John who you haven't talked to in a while. If you program your brain to look at them that way (If the language is too nerdy for you, I meant if you treat them as if) everything, from your eyes contact, your body language, your reaction to them, would change positively. After all, people want to be around others who care about them, who listen to them, and who are positive about things. Just be a friend, or in this case, a long-lost friend

3. The Beyoncé Principle

Another great concept to look at, in my opinion. If you want people to love you, you first must learn to love yourself. Accept the fact that you're not perfect, but just as anyone else, you are worthy of love and belonging. The principle indicates that people treats you the way you think you deserve to be treated. It's all in your head. If you think you are weird and socially awkward, that will reflect on everything you do or say, and people will take that as who you are. That being said, if you treat yourself as if you're freakin' Beyoncé, you will do things with a different attitude, and the new you will reflect on people differently.

These are some food for thoughts of this week coming from me. Put yourself out there, learn to love yourself, and let others learn that too.