Where to make friends and meet people

So I graduated last year and I took a year out and I have never felt to lonely like I realised I only have one friend who is from my uni but I don’t know many people and I didn’t even get the uni experience I wanted because of covid and my uni being so local and small. I had social anxiety as well so I never spoke to people now I feel I have grown and I am able to speak to people but I am not in uni anymore and I am not in the same environment. I don’t know where to meet people find friends and actually find a partner. I try to go out but I wish I had someone to go with whether it’s a picnic shopping or other places. My friends don’t go out at all. Anyone have advice.

Reply 1

University of Sheffield Students

Official Rep

14

Original post by Anonymous

So I graduated last year and I took a year out and I have never felt to lonely like I realised I only have one friend who is from my uni but I don’t know many people and I didn’t even get the uni experience I wanted because of covid and my uni being so local and small. I had social anxiety as well so I never spoke to people now I feel I have grown and I am able to speak to people but I am not in uni anymore and I am not in the same environment. I don’t know where to meet people find friends and actually find a partner. I try to go out but I wish I had someone to go with whether it’s a picnic shopping or other places. My friends don’t go out at all. Anyone have advice.

Hey,
I am sorry that you are feeling like this. Trying to make friends as an adult can be challenging, and is something we never really learn how to do. There are a few ways that you could try to meet people. One would be to go to societies/activities. This is more common in University and uni cities, however lots of places have groups that you could join if you want to meet people. Even smaller towns often have a running/art/gardening group, so going to an event that they put on could be helpful. Another way could be to reach out to people you already know, but are not close with at the moment to see if they want to hang out. This can seem scary, but often people are in a similar situation to you, and would love to socialise. Another way you could try to meet people is through friendship apps, these work in a similar way to dating apps but are ways to meet friends. There are also language sharing apps, where you can find local people who want to learn a language that you know/want to learn.
Evie (4th year medic at UoS)

Original post by Anonymous

So I graduated last year and I took a year out and I have never felt to lonely like I realised I only have one friend who is from my uni but I don’t know many people and I didn’t even get the uni experience I wanted because of covid and my uni being so local and small. I had social anxiety as well so I never spoke to people now I feel I have grown and I am able to speak to people but I am not in uni anymore and I am not in the same environment. I don’t know where to meet people find friends and actually find a partner. I try to go out but I wish I had someone to go with whether it’s a picnic shopping or other places. My friends don’t go out at all. Anyone have advice.

Hi there,

I would also agree that a good place to start is by looking into groups or teams that you could join. If you enjoy a sport, have a look to see if there is a team local to you that you could join! Even if you go on your own, you will meet lots of people there and it will give you something fun to get out of the house and do!

If there’s not a specific sport you like, there are often other groups such as running/walking or even groups that just meet up for coffee and you can meet people this way too.

A lot of people tend to make friends at work too so depending on your job you may make friends this way as well.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy - SHU student ambassador.

Original post by Anonymous

So I graduated last year and I took a year out and I have never felt to lonely like I realised I only have one friend who is from my uni but I don’t know many people and I didn’t even get the uni experience I wanted because of covid and my uni being so local and small. I had social anxiety as well so I never spoke to people now I feel I have grown and I am able to speak to people but I am not in uni anymore and I am not in the same environment. I don’t know where to meet people find friends and actually find a partner. I try to go out but I wish I had someone to go with whether it’s a picnic shopping or other places. My friends don’t go out at all. Anyone have advice.

Hi there,

I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling with this. Making friends at any age can be challenging, but even more so as we leave places that have so many opportunities.

I'd recommend finding out what you enjoy doing, even if it is doing it alone. I get so much confidence and empowerment by doing things alone, such as getting coffee, going to the movies, or going to a museum. It really just reinforces that you are fully capable of enjoying yourself and your own company, which is really valuable. You might even meet other people here!

Personally, I find volunteering to be a great place to meet others. I have made so many great connections from this, and there are often so many opportunities to choose from. You can always ask local organizations or do a quick Google search to find some near you.

Facebook and Instagram can also be great platforms for finding local groups and activities. They may be sporting groups, outings, or more specific activities. I know that near me there are is a women's walking group, many running groups, dance networks, and gardening clubs.

Many people will also make friends from their job, so this may be the case for you too.

I hope this helps!

Isabella
Third-year Geography with a Year Abroad Student

Reply 4

University of Sunderland Student Ambassador

Official Rep

11

Original post by Anonymous

So I graduated last year and I took a year out and I have never felt to lonely like I realised I only have one friend who is from my uni but I don’t know many people and I didn’t even get the uni experience I wanted because of covid and my uni being so local and small. I had social anxiety as well so I never spoke to people now I feel I have grown and I am able to speak to people but I am not in uni anymore and I am not in the same environment. I don’t know where to meet people find friends and actually find a partner. I try to go out but I wish I had someone to go with whether it’s a picnic shopping or other places. My friends don’t go out at all. Anyone have advice.

Hi there,

I think it can seem really daunting to try and make friends as an adult when you are out of full time education. I think the best way to make friends is to join different clubs, for example, you could join a local gym, or see if there is a running club or something which you might enjoy. This means that you are going out and socialising with others while also doing something that you enjoy!
If you aren't interested in doing exercise, quite often there are little get togethers at coffee shops and things, or you could join a book club if you enjoy reading.

I hope this helps,

Ellen
Y4 Medical Student
Uni of Sunderland

Where to make friends and meet people

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