When it comes to University, many questions will undoubtedly go through your head: “How will I manage my accommodation? Will I enjoy the course?”

But perhaps one of the more important questions is: “Will I make friends at University?”

Since the 30th of July is International Friendship day, now is the best time to address this question. There are many things you can do to help ease your transition into University and become more comfortable in socialising with your peers.

Make New Friends On The Course

The best place to start would be the introduction to your Seminar group: these are people who you will be close to during your course so take the time to get to know them: talk about interests, backgrounds, the course…whatever you can think of. Remember that, at University, there will be a range of people from many walks of life, and also they’ll probably be just as nervous as you are about the course so you definitely won’t be the only one feeling anxious!!

Join A Society

Also consider joining a Society: here at SUBU, we have many different societies available, and at Fresher’s Fair you can get a taste of all of them. Disney, Harry Potter, Sports, Video Gaming…there’s something for everyone – and with your interests in common with society members, socialising will be easy. But what if you can’t find a group you want? No problem – you can make it yourself with the help of SUBU! With their help you can round up some similarly-minded people to form your new Society. Also consider the outings SUBU arranges every so often – nights out, and even walks in the countryside, can help introduce you to new people.

Make Friends in Student Accommodation

If you’re considering student accommodation, also take the time to get to know the other people around you – again, you’ll be sharing a mutual environment so make the most of this scenario and get to know who you’ll be living with. Also, keep in mind that leaving home and having to look after an accommodation can be stressful for some, so do help each other out – it makes University life far less stressful if you can get along with your roommates.

Stay In Touch with Old Friends

Moving out can be tricky, though – it will be tough to leave your old friends and have to start making new ones. Don’t let this get you down, though – with social media, text messages, and Facetime calls, it’s never been easier to keep in touch with your old friends and make new ones at the same time. Simply drop them a message if you’re feeling lonely or want to give them the latest about your studies.

This is also very useful for maintaining friendships while in our current state of lockdown – never underestimate the power of a simple “How are you doing lately?” Living during this crisis is not easy for anyone, so do remember that some people are struggling a lot and would definitely appreciate friendship to help them get through.

Just remember that you are not alone – everyone feels nervous at some points when it comes to making new friends. Even for sociable people it’s not exactly easy. Remember that, and most importantly, be kind to others! Kindness is definitely a big help to making friends: sometimes you’ve got to give a smile to get a smile back!