Second year trying to make friends at Uni of Exeter

Hi! I'm a 2nd year female econs student in Exeter. I'm not from the UK either. My friendship situation is kind of different this year in that I had a lot of friends last year but a lot of my pals transferred and I disconnected from some toxic people. I also live in a house near the centre with distant people who don't really like doing things together so.. all in all I'm a lot lonelier this year.

I am in a society and also have a gym membership in town (we could train together). I'd describe myself as a mix between extrovert and introvert, polite and somewhat shy, am open to doing basically anything and I like trying new things!

If you're in Exeter and looking for friendship, study partner, gym partner, someone to go food shopping with or whatever, feel free to PM me! :smile:

Reply 1

sol1exeter

Are you part of any sports societies? My impression of Exeter (as a student here) is that it's much easier to make friends in a sports society than any of the others, especially if you go to the socials

University of Exeter

Exeter

Reply 2

palaire

As the OP, I'm making an update on this post as I never went back on here since 2019 (sorry for all the missed messages!). In 2023, I am now a postgrad. If any lonely student finds this post, I have advice to give you as someone who's been through a rather tough period of loneliness, only to come out of it just fine later.

First of all, we all experience ups and downs in social life, mood, ambition and love life at uni. It tends to be a transient experience that ranges in length from person to person. I was pretty lonely in my second year to the point where I believe I may have been depressed. At the time, I felt like I was the only one in this position. One day, I saw a post for year abroad registration and decided to sign myself up for one. The year abroad was truly the best decision for me! It completely spiced up my student experience and gave me a fresh start when I came back in the final year. My biggest advice is to be proactive when you are lonely. Try to foster a sense of positivity even when the times get rough. For me, a year abroad was a way to step away for a bit whilst I reconnected with myself. For someone else, that may be societies or sports clubs. Even if you are a shy person, you can easily make friends at the right societies where you'll meet the personalities that you click with! Above all, try to work on mental wellbeing by meditating, reading helpful books and listening to meaningful podcasts. You need to address the dependency on people first, before you're faced with potential friendships around you.