How to make friends at University

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1) Join online groups. Before starting university, I was invited to join various Facebook groups to connect and speak to people starting the University at the same time as me, people on my course, and people living in the same Student accommodation as me. This was really nice as it meant I got to speak to people early on so then when I met them in person it wasn’t as scary because it felt like I already knew them. When speaking to people on my course, I found a group of people I really liked and wanted to work with on projects (I do film production, so it is a very collaborative course) because we started talking and sharing interests. When I met them in person, it was like we were already friends. This is also how I met my flatmates before moving in which allowed me to get to know the people, I would be living with a bit better before moving in day.

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2) Join Societies. A society is basically like an after-school club you might do in secondary school. Every university will have loads that range from your usual sports societies like football, rugby etc. to more casual ones like chess society and board game society. There are also some really niche ones each university will have like an extreme ironing society where people will do skydives and extreme sports whilst using an ironing board. Every university has societies, and they are a great way to meet people with similar interests to you. And often, if there isn’t a society that fits your interests, you can make your own society. For example, in Portsmouth, we have a Taylor Swift society, a Harry Styles society, and a nacho eating society so whoever you are, you will find your tribe!

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3) Take part in freshers’ events and activities. Every university will have some kind of fresher’s week or events which is basically an introduction to your time at university. A lot of events will be put on to give you a flavour of university or the area you are in and a lot of local companies and businesses will get involved to give out offers and discounts to students. With all the events going on, this is a great chance to meet different people and take part in fun activities to ease you into university life. A lot of societies will also show off what they are about at these events.

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4) Meet people in your accommodation building. Obviously not everyone will stay in student accommodation in your first year and that is completely fine, but for anyone who is staying in halls, it is definitely worth getting to know other people living in your building as a way to make new friends. A lot of accommodations will put on events for the people living in each building as a way to get to know more people and feel more at home. With everyone being in close proximity with potential friends being just across the corridor from you, it is perfect for meeting new people, especially if you are living on your own in a studio flat and are wanting to branch out and find new friends.

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Bring brownies to your accom on arrivals weekend! home baked are the best. Its a great conversation starter to break the ice. A discussion about brownies could end up with you knowing your new flatmates, where they are from, what they are studying, and possibly an invitation to do something together later.

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Ask at least 5 new people out for coffee from your course/accom in freshers' week - its a great way to get to know people better and they will appreciate it! Even if it feels unnatural or contrived, it definitely pays to put yourself out there.

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Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Many of your friends will come later down the line, after you've settled down into your course. I met some really good friends at uni after we were thrown together for a group project over a whole semester. This was an example of how you can still make friends without trying to make friends, and hopefully illustrates that there will be plenty of opportunities to get to know new people throughout your course.