Some people may feel a little apprehensive about how and if you will make friends when at university. I realised when I arrived there are lots of ways you can make friends! In this blog, I chat about some ways you can make friends whilst at Bournemouth University.

Freshers’ week

When you arrive at BU in September there will be a Freshers week. This week is designed so you can get to know people and settle into university life, including navigating Bournemouth itself and your university timetable. This is a great way to start getting to know your flatmates and your course mates. You may also find that you make friends when you are participating in activities and when you are going out.

Everyone when they arrive at university is in a similar boat, not knowing anyone, or only knowing a few people. Keep in mind some people may seem to be more settled but may still be feeling nervous about making friends (so try not to compare yourself to how others are getting on!).

A great way to keep in contact with people that you meet in Freshers is via social media, for instance, Snapchat or Instagram. Perhaps if you get on well you could suggest going for some food or going to another Freshers event.

Clubs and Societies at BU

Another great way to connect with people is through clubs and societies. Clubs and societies are run by students and SportBU, as a fun way to socialise and learn new skills. There are a large range of clubs and societies that cover many different areas. You can have a look at the current clubs and societies on the SUBU website here.

All of these clubs and societies will have meet ups. It does not matter if you do not have experience already in the area, for example Lacrosse or Surfing as many of these have options for beginners! Lots of clubs and societies have stalls at the Freshers fair to ask questions! Alternatively, there will be a sign-up option on the SUBU website.

Find friends on your course

Your university course is a nice place to find some friends either to hang out with regularly or sit and study with whilst in class. You will attend both lectures and seminars. Seminars are designed to be smaller groups and sometimes include group work and group discussion. These are the sessions that I found the best for chatting to people. You could ask if the people you are sat with would like to go for some food or coffee after the seminar for instance.

My top tips to making friends at BU

• First and foremost, try to be yourself. It can be daunting moving to university and feeling like you need to make friends. However, being yourself is a great way to attract people that have similar interests. People should like you for you! It can be quite easy to feel like you need to fit in, I know I felt like that to begin with (and its natural)!
• Actively ask people if they would like to do something with you, even if it is going to the shop together. Making friends takes time, but taking every day as it comes is always a good start.
• You may feel lonely at times, and that is also really normal, even if people aren’t showing this side of themselves. I found it helpful to check in with my home friends and family to feel a sense of home. It is also good to keep reminding yourself that sometimes it takes a bit of time! If you find that you are struggling there are people you could reach out to at BU, a good first place to look is Student Support 

I hope you really enjoy making new friends at BU. It can be very fun to do!

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More tips from current students