making friends
Hello! I am starting university at Sussex in September. I will be living off campus (half an hour away by train) as this has always fit my preferences. Whilst i am glad to miss out on the mess and loudness i am quite worried about making friends, I feel like because i wont have flatmates to start with i wont be able to easily make friends and enjoy freshers, any tips? How did freshers go for everyone else and how easy is it to find people to be friends with? Thanks so much 
Original post by Gabbiey
Hello! I am starting university at Sussex in September. I will be living off campus (half an hour away by train) as this has always fit my preferences. Whilst i am glad to miss out on the mess and loudness i am quite worried about making friends, I feel like because i wont have flatmates to start with i wont be able to easily make friends and enjoy freshers, any tips? How did freshers go for everyone else and how easy is it to find people to be friends with? Thanks so much
My personal view is that you may have a better chance of making friends if you live on campus or very close to the campus. If you are commuting 30 mins to your accommodation, you may have to focus on being present to actively make friends whilst on campus. During freshers, many make friends with flatmates, going to clubs or pubs or the SU together, staying up late to meet new people etc.
I am not sure what’s your personal conditions, but if you have to live in that accommodation, you don't have a choice.
Good luck
Hi,
I also didn’t live in student accommodation. It didn’t really impact me when making friends at uni, but I did have to put more effort into making friends, than I would of , if I had lived in student accommodation. I joined a sports club at uni, and I have met the majority of my friends through the club. It’s also been one of my biggest highlights, whilst at university. I would definitely recommend, attending freshers fair and taster sessions for sports and society’s.
I also found that being a student ambassador, has helped me make friends, as well as grow my confidence whilst at university. Most universities will open applications for student ambassadors at the beginning of the academic year. I have really enjoyed being a student ambassador, and definitely would suggest becoming one, if you’re looking for a part time job while at uni.
Suzan - Student Ambassador
I also didn’t live in student accommodation. It didn’t really impact me when making friends at uni, but I did have to put more effort into making friends, than I would of , if I had lived in student accommodation. I joined a sports club at uni, and I have met the majority of my friends through the club. It’s also been one of my biggest highlights, whilst at university. I would definitely recommend, attending freshers fair and taster sessions for sports and society’s.
I also found that being a student ambassador, has helped me make friends, as well as grow my confidence whilst at university. Most universities will open applications for student ambassadors at the beginning of the academic year. I have really enjoyed being a student ambassador, and definitely would suggest becoming one, if you’re looking for a part time job while at uni.
Suzan - Student Ambassador
Hi there! 
I understand why you may feel that making friends will be difficult given that you will be living off campus, but 30 minutes isn't far at all! I would recommend attending as many freshers events as possible and joining a society - this doesn't have to be sports-related, most universities have a vast range of different societies and at least one is likely to spark your interest. One thing I regret during my time at university is not joining a society until final year - I met some great friends through joining a society, and I wish I would have joined one in my first year instead. Another idea is inviting some of your course mates to lunch or for a coffee in between your classes - this will help to build a solid foundation for a friendship to grow.
Best of luck in university!
Lauren
WrexhamUniReps
I understand why you may feel that making friends will be difficult given that you will be living off campus, but 30 minutes isn't far at all! I would recommend attending as many freshers events as possible and joining a society - this doesn't have to be sports-related, most universities have a vast range of different societies and at least one is likely to spark your interest. One thing I regret during my time at university is not joining a society until final year - I met some great friends through joining a society, and I wish I would have joined one in my first year instead. Another idea is inviting some of your course mates to lunch or for a coffee in between your classes - this will help to build a solid foundation for a friendship to grow. Best of luck in university!
Lauren
WrexhamUniReps
Original post by Gabbiey
Hello! I am starting university at Sussex in September. I will be living off campus (half an hour away by train) as this has always fit my preferences. Whilst i am glad to miss out on the mess and loudness i am quite worried about making friends, I feel like because i wont have flatmates to start with i wont be able to easily make friends and enjoy freshers, any tips? How did freshers go for everyone else and how easy is it to find people to be friends with? Thanks so much
Which course will you be studying? How exciting!
I lived at home when I was studying, and a lot of my course mates did and I didn't see any problems for them with making friends. A lot of them made sure they joined clubs and societies and attended events, keeping in regular content with the friends they made from it. You could also form study groups and in free time after lectures go to the library, then afterwards grab a coffee before your train. I think it's just about making the effort, arranging plans..you could also add coursemates on social media and that way you can message them to see if they want to meet up and do something.
I didn't attend much at Freshers personally, but there was clothing sales and a tea party that I did! I saw there was a lot of fun activities like trips, nights out, movie nights etc. There'll be absolutely tons of stuff to get involved in
You could also get involved in becoming a student ambassador, volunteering or finding part-time work on campus as ways of meeting new people too!
Good luck with your university journey, I'm sure you'll have the best time
Becky
Original post by Gabbiey
Hello! I am starting university at Sussex in September. I will be living off campus (half an hour away by train) as this has always fit my preferences. Whilst i am glad to miss out on the mess and loudness i am quite worried about making friends, I feel like because i wont have flatmates to start with i wont be able to easily make friends and enjoy freshers, any tips? How did freshers go for everyone else and how easy is it to find people to be friends with? Thanks so much
Hi @Gabbiey,
While I attended university, I lived a 40 minute car commute away from campus and was worried about not making friends through not living in accommodation close to campus, however my worries were not necessary as through my course and group tasks I managed to make friends who I am still friends with now, a year after graduating.
Everyone is in the same boat when starting university so my best advice is to put yourself out there and be friendly with everyone, have a look and see if there are any societies that would interest you as this is a great way to meet people with a similar interest to you as well.
To continue, try inviting a couple of your class mates to study as a group, this will help with making friends but also with working towards your course and takes the pressure off a little bit.
You will find that the majority of people are nervous to start that conversation but very eager to be apart of it so if you have the confidence to start it, you will have no problems at all.
I hope this helps you!
Ben - University of Wolverhampton Rep.
(edited 8 months ago)
Original post by YSJstudents
Hi,
I also didn’t live in student accommodation. It didn’t really impact me when making friends at uni, but I did have to put more effort into making friends, than I would of , if I had lived in student accommodation. I joined a sports club at uni, and I have met the majority of my friends through the club. It’s also been one of my biggest highlights, whilst at university. I would definitely recommend, attending freshers fair and taster sessions for sports and society’s.
I also found that being a student ambassador, has helped me make friends, as well as grow my confidence whilst at university. Most universities will open applications for student ambassadors at the beginning of the academic year. I have really enjoyed being a student ambassador, and definitely would suggest becoming one, if you’re looking for a part time job while at uni.
Suzan - Student Ambassador
I also didn’t live in student accommodation. It didn’t really impact me when making friends at uni, but I did have to put more effort into making friends, than I would of , if I had lived in student accommodation. I joined a sports club at uni, and I have met the majority of my friends through the club. It’s also been one of my biggest highlights, whilst at university. I would definitely recommend, attending freshers fair and taster sessions for sports and society’s.
I also found that being a student ambassador, has helped me make friends, as well as grow my confidence whilst at university. Most universities will open applications for student ambassadors at the beginning of the academic year. I have really enjoyed being a student ambassador, and definitely would suggest becoming one, if you’re looking for a part time job while at uni.
Suzan - Student Ambassador
Hello! Thanks sm for the helpful advice. Yes i am planning on joining at least 2 societies and will definitely attend as many events at freshers as possible!! Im very good at keeping friendships through coffee/study dates but my worry is the initial making of the friendship! I havent had to make friends since i was 10 so its been a while haha x
Original post by WrexhamUniReps
Hi there! I understand why you may feel that making friends will be difficult given that you will be living off campus, but 30 minutes isn't far at all! I would recommend attending as many freshers events as possible and joining a society - this doesn't have to be sports-related, most universities have a vast range of different societies and at least one is likely to spark your interest. One thing I regret during my time at university is not joining a society until final year - I met some great friends through joining a society, and I wish I would have joined one in my first year instead. Another idea is inviting some of your course mates to lunch or for a coffee in between your classes - this will help to build a solid foundation for a friendship to grow.
Best of luck in university!
Lauren
WrexhamUniReps
I understand why you may feel that making friends will be difficult given that you will be living off campus, but 30 minutes isn't far at all! I would recommend attending as many freshers events as possible and joining a society - this doesn't have to be sports-related, most universities have a vast range of different societies and at least one is likely to spark your interest. One thing I regret during my time at university is not joining a society until final year - I met some great friends through joining a society, and I wish I would have joined one in my first year instead. Another idea is inviting some of your course mates to lunch or for a coffee in between your classes - this will help to build a solid foundation for a friendship to grow. Best of luck in university!
Lauren
WrexhamUniReps
Thanks so much for the help! So far ive been really made to feel like ill be missing out loads because im 30 minutes away but its nice to hear that if i make an effort i can still make friends!! Will definitely join a few societies x
Original post by University of Bradford
Hey @Gabbiey how are you?
Which course will you be studying? How exciting!
I lived at home when I was studying, and a lot of my course mates did and I didn't see any problems for them with making friends. A lot of them made sure they joined clubs and societies and attended events, keeping in regular content with the friends they made from it. You could also form study groups and in free time after lectures go to the library, then afterwards grab a coffee before your train. I think it's just about making the effort, arranging plans..you could also add coursemates on social media and that way you can message them to see if they want to meet up and do something.
I didn't attend much at Freshers personally, but there was clothing sales and a tea party that I did! I saw there was a lot of fun activities like trips, nights out, movie nights etc. There'll be absolutely tons of stuff to get involved in
You could also get involved in becoming a student ambassador, volunteering or finding part-time work on campus as ways of meeting new people too!
Good luck with your university journey, I'm sure you'll have the best time
Becky
Which course will you be studying? How exciting!
I lived at home when I was studying, and a lot of my course mates did and I didn't see any problems for them with making friends. A lot of them made sure they joined clubs and societies and attended events, keeping in regular content with the friends they made from it. You could also form study groups and in free time after lectures go to the library, then afterwards grab a coffee before your train. I think it's just about making the effort, arranging plans..you could also add coursemates on social media and that way you can message them to see if they want to meet up and do something.
I didn't attend much at Freshers personally, but there was clothing sales and a tea party that I did! I saw there was a lot of fun activities like trips, nights out, movie nights etc. There'll be absolutely tons of stuff to get involved in
You could also get involved in becoming a student ambassador, volunteering or finding part-time work on campus as ways of meeting new people too!
Good luck with your university journey, I'm sure you'll have the best time
Becky
Hello!! Thanks so much for the response. Im doing psychology with Criminology at sussex! Thabks for sharing your experience and reasurring me that itll all work out if i just put the effort in. Im super good at keeping friendships once i get them but im just so worried about initially making friends! But i know i just need to put myself out there and go for it, am definitely planning on spending a lot of time on campus during freshers just to give myself a good chance!! Thanks for the help again x
Original post by WolvesRep3
Hi @Gabbiey,
While I attended university, I lived a 40 minute car commute away from campus and was worried about not making friends through not living in accommodation close to campus, however my worries were not necessary as through my course and group tasks I managed to make friends who I am still friends with now, a year after graduating.
Everyone is in the same boat when starting university so my best advice is to put yourself out there and be friendly with everyone, have a look and see if there are any societies that would interest you as this is a great way to meet people with a similar interest to you as well.
To continue, try inviting a couple of your class mates to study as a group, this will help with making friends but also with working towards your course and takes the pressure off a little bit.
You will find that the majority of people are nervous to start that conversation but very eager to be apart of it so if you have the confidence to start it, you will have no problems at all.
I hope this helps you!
Ben - University of Wolverhampton Rep.
While I attended university, I lived a 40 minute car commute away from campus and was worried about not making friends through not living in accommodation close to campus, however my worries were not necessary as through my course and group tasks I managed to make friends who I am still friends with now, a year after graduating.
Everyone is in the same boat when starting university so my best advice is to put yourself out there and be friendly with everyone, have a look and see if there are any societies that would interest you as this is a great way to meet people with a similar interest to you as well.
To continue, try inviting a couple of your class mates to study as a group, this will help with making friends but also with working towards your course and takes the pressure off a little bit.
You will find that the majority of people are nervous to start that conversation but very eager to be apart of it so if you have the confidence to start it, you will have no problems at all.
I hope this helps you!
Ben - University of Wolverhampton Rep.
Hello! Thanks for your response, its super helpful to hear your point of view having have gone through the same situation!! I do tend to forget other people will be worried about making friends too haha so i will try to put myself out there and make the first move! Im definitely wanting to join a few societies and keeping the friendships i make! Fingers crossed it all goes fine. Thanks so much for the help again x
Original post by Gabbiey
Hello!! Thanks so much for the response. Im doing psychology with Criminology at sussex! Thabks for sharing your experience and reasurring me that itll all work out if i just put the effort in. Im super good at keeping friendships once i get them but im just so worried about initially making friends! But i know i just need to put myself out there and go for it, am definitely planning on spending a lot of time on campus during freshers just to give myself a good chance!! Thanks for the help again x
No problem at all @Gabbiey
It's so important to always voice how you're feeling and hear from other people about their experiences, I wish I knew about this site when I was a student, it would have helped put my nerves at ease too! Your course sounds so fascinating, I bet you'll have the best time. Just remember everyone is in same boat and wanting to make friends, so like you said spend a lot of time on campus during freshers and I'm sure you'll meet some wonderful people.
Becky
Original post by Gabbiey
Hello! I am starting university at Sussex in September. I will be living off campus (half an hour away by train) as this has always fit my preferences. Whilst i am glad to miss out on the mess and loudness i am quite worried about making friends, I feel like because i wont have flatmates to start with i wont be able to easily make friends and enjoy freshers, any tips? How did freshers go for everyone else and how easy is it to find people to be friends with? Thanks so much
Hi!
While it will be a little harder at the start you definitely can still make friends! My top tips for this would be to just attend everything you can during welcome week and try and build up the confidence to go say hi to people.
During welcome week everyone just wants to meet people and find some friends and I found it really helpful to remember that as it gave me more confidence when going and introducing myself. I also met the most people during the introductory lecturers for my course which was really great as these are people that you will see most days.
If you can find any groupchats for your year or subject that's also nice as when I first went up people would say which events they were going to during welcome week and we all kept an eye out for eachother. With the groupchats though beware of the bots that invade and don't give out too much information
I hope this helps a little and I hope you're excited - freshers week is SO much fun and I'm sure you'll have a great time!
- Jessica
2nd year, Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)
Original post by Gabbiey
Hello! I am starting university at Sussex in September. I will be living off campus (half an hour away by train) as this has always fit my preferences. Whilst i am glad to miss out on the mess and loudness i am quite worried about making friends, I feel like because i wont have flatmates to start with i wont be able to easily make friends and enjoy freshers, any tips? How did freshers go for everyone else and how easy is it to find people to be friends with? Thanks so much
Hi there,
It's totally understandable that you're a little worried about meeting people at university. However, I'd like to reassure you that there is always a way to meet new people. Whether this is through your course or societies, the most important thing it to be patient and kind to yourself (it can take time). I just wrote a blog on this so you can read here to see my tips
All the best,
Jaz - Cardiff student rep
Original post by CardiffUni Rep
Hi there,
It's totally understandable that you're a little worried about meeting people at university. However, I'd like to reassure you that there is always a way to meet new people. Whether this is through your course or societies, the most important thing it to be patient and kind to yourself (it can take time). I just wrote a blog on this so you can read here to see my tips
All the best,
Jaz - Cardiff student rep
It's totally understandable that you're a little worried about meeting people at university. However, I'd like to reassure you that there is always a way to meet new people. Whether this is through your course or societies, the most important thing it to be patient and kind to yourself (it can take time). I just wrote a blog on this so you can read here to see my tips
All the best,
Jaz - Cardiff student rep
Amazing thanks fornthe help!!
Original post by Heriot-Watt Uni
Hi!
While it will be a little harder at the start you definitely can still make friends! My top tips for this would be to just attend everything you can during welcome week and try and build up the confidence to go say hi to people.
During welcome week everyone just wants to meet people and find some friends and I found it really helpful to remember that as it gave me more confidence when going and introducing myself. I also met the most people during the introductory lecturers for my course which was really great as these are people that you will see most days.
If you can find any groupchats for your year or subject that's also nice as when I first went up people would say which events they were going to during welcome week and we all kept an eye out for eachother. With the groupchats though beware of the bots that invade and don't give out too much information
I hope this helps a little and I hope you're excited - freshers week is SO much fun and I'm sure you'll have a great time!
- Jessica
2nd year, Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)
While it will be a little harder at the start you definitely can still make friends! My top tips for this would be to just attend everything you can during welcome week and try and build up the confidence to go say hi to people.
During welcome week everyone just wants to meet people and find some friends and I found it really helpful to remember that as it gave me more confidence when going and introducing myself. I also met the most people during the introductory lecturers for my course which was really great as these are people that you will see most days.
If you can find any groupchats for your year or subject that's also nice as when I first went up people would say which events they were going to during welcome week and we all kept an eye out for eachother. With the groupchats though beware of the bots that invade and don't give out too much information
I hope this helps a little and I hope you're excited - freshers week is SO much fun and I'm sure you'll have a great time!
- Jessica
2nd year, Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence)
Thanks so much x
Original post by Gabbiey
Amazing thanks fornthe help!!
Let me know if there is anything else I can do
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