making friends

im attending cardiff uni this year (socsi) and im worried about making friends with people cause i tend to be anxious. does anyone have any advice on making friends in university? i feel hopeless

Reply 1

hotpud

Most people are anxious when around people they don't know. So put that to one side, smile broadly, ask them what their name is, where they come from and what subject they are studying. Hopefully that will be enough to create and in and you can take it from there. Don't be scared. You have nothing to be scared about.

Reply 2

Chester Student

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

im attending cardiff uni this year (socsi) and im worried about making friends with people cause i tend to be anxious. does anyone have any advice on making friends in university? i feel hopeless

Hi there,

Starting university can be really daunting, especially when thinking about making new friends. I think it has been summed up really nicely by @hotpud - you have nothing to be scared about!

Are you planning on attending any Welcome Week events? These are great places to meet new, like-minded people. Are you interested in any sports, societies, volunteering, or part-time work? These are also great places to meet people, and will also be great to keep you busy and gain some useful skills.

Just remember, so many people will be feeling the same way you are. Meeting new people can be scary! But being the one to try to start the conversation can actually be very useful for you, just as it was for me. Over time, being the first one to introduce myself or give someone a compliment made me so much more confident. I can now make small talk fairly easily, although I do still feel nervous. So do keep that in the back of your mind - you are not truly hopeless, and it does get easier!

Best of luck,

Isabella
Geography with a Year Abroad Student

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 3

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

im attending cardiff uni this year (socsi) and im worried about making friends with people cause i tend to be anxious. does anyone have any advice on making friends in university? i feel hopeless

Hi Anon,
I felt the same way before attending university, however its important to remember that everyone is in the same situation and will be trying to make friends, so usually people will be open to have a chat. I'd recommend attending some of the freshers week events including some of the daytime events as these can be great ways to meet new people. Also, societies are a great way to make friends as everyone there has a common interest meaning its usually easy to start a conversation around a common interest. There's lots of different ways to make friends at uni from flat mates, course mates, society friends and lots of other ways too, so try not to panic about making friends as there's lots of opportunities to.
Hope this helps!
-Jasmine (Lancaster Student Ambassador)

Reply 4

WrexhamUniReps

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

im attending cardiff uni this year (socsi) and im worried about making friends with people cause i tend to be anxious. does anyone have any advice on making friends in university? i feel hopeless

Hi

Please try not to worry about this - there will be a lot of people feeling the same.

My biggest piece of advice when people ask me about this is to join societies as people in the societies will all have common interests and this way it is easier to make friends.

As well as this try meeting up with coursemates outside of lectures can be another good way to make friends!

I hope this helps,

Matt
Wrexham Uni Reps

Reply 5

UCLan Student

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

im attending cardiff uni this year (socsi) and im worried about making friends with people cause i tend to be anxious. does anyone have any advice on making friends in university? i feel hopeless

Hi there,

Congratulations on getting into university! Being an anxious and shy person myself, I struggled with this. Well, I struggled with the thought of it and feeling hopeless before starting however, it isn't as bad when it comes to it at all.

Joining Facebook groups helped me a lot as I was able to get to know my flat mates and course mates before seeing them in person. I recommend doing this as it makes the transition a little bit easier.

Joining societies is also a great way to meet likeminded people and find your people. But just saying yes to events and going to get lunch with your course mates is also a simple way of getting to know people. 🙂

Lastly, I would also say don't except to meet your friends straight away during freshers week. As much as freshers/welcome week are great to meet new people, there are plenty of other opportunities whilst you study to meet the right people for you.

Hope this helps,
Jakub- Fashion promotion graduate

Reply 6

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

im attending cardiff uni this year (socsi) and im worried about making friends with people cause i tend to be anxious. does anyone have any advice on making friends in university? i feel hopeless

Hey! First of all, totally normal to feel anxious about starting university—it’s a big change, but it’s also an exciting one! 😊 Everyone's in the same boat, especially in first year, so you’re definitely not alone in feeling this way.

One of the best things you can do is make use of the support systems that your uni offers. Most universities (like Salford, where I study) have services like personal tutors who are assigned to you from the start. They can help with academic stuff, but also if you’re feeling overwhelmed—they’re there for a chat and can guide you through the ups and downs. There are also wellbeing services if you feel like the anxiety is too much, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support.

Another thing is to get involved in stuff that you enjoy, whether it’s joining a society, sports club, or just going to events during Freshers’ Week. It’s a great way to meet people, and you’ll find that building a routine and making connections helps ease a lot of those nerves.

Take it one day at a time, and don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone adjusts at their own pace, and it's totally okay to ask for help when you need it. You’ve got this! 😄

Good luck,
Arslan – University of Salford Student Representative