Anyone currently a first year at UoY feeling lonely?

Okay, I've got casual friends in my course so i'm not totally alone in lectures and seminars. I know a couple people well throughout the campus, although none in my flat cus they not rly my vibe and i'm not theirs either but idm that.

The trouble is often times I feel quite lonely when I just want to hang out around whether at the library or out in town.
I've tried out the societies, don't get me wrong people are generally nice it's just I didn't find them to be a great match friendship wise...

Now I don't really know what to do :')
Any advice for me or other people feeling like this?

Reply 1

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by student5201

Okay, I've got casual friends in my course so i'm not totally alone in lectures and seminars. I know a couple people well throughout the campus, although none in my flat cus they not rly my vibe and i'm not theirs either but idm that.
The trouble is often times I feel quite lonely when I just want to hang out around whether at the library or out in town.
I've tried out the societies, don't get me wrong people are generally nice it's just I didn't find them to be a great match friendship wise...
Now I don't really know what to do :')
Any advice for me or other people feeling like this?

Hi @student5201

Well done for making an effort to make friends and trying out societies. It can be one of the harder parts of starting university.

I found that my friendships grew over time and got stronger throughout the year. It is still quite early in the academic year and so there is still a lot of time for them to develop. I would recommend that you keep talking to different people and putting yourself out there, as this will help you to make more friends.

It is also important to remember than you are not alone in this feeling!

Hope that helps!

Sophie.
BCU Student Rep.

Reply 2

hallamstudents

Official Rep

Original post by student5201

Okay, I've got casual friends in my course so i'm not totally alone in lectures and seminars. I know a couple people well throughout the campus, although none in my flat cus they not rly my vibe and i'm not theirs either but idm that.
The trouble is often times I feel quite lonely when I just want to hang out around whether at the library or out in town.
I've tried out the societies, don't get me wrong people are generally nice it's just I didn't find them to be a great match friendship wise...
Now I don't really know what to do :')
Any advice for me or other people feeling like this?

Hi @student5201 ,

I agree that it is good that you have tried societies and have been trying to make friends! It can be really tricky sometimes to make friends at uni so I understand how you are feeling as I have felt like this myself before too.

Another way you could potentially make some friends is by looking on social media. Sometimes on Facebook there are some groups where people from different universities chat and make plans and you might meet some people on here that you otherwise may not have met. There are also groups sometimes on snapchat (I know my halls had one) where you can chat to some people who are in your building so you may also meet people this way.

You could also see if your SU puts any events on. Sometimes the SU will put different events on throughout the year where you can meet some new people and try a new activity which can be quite fun so I would recommend seeing if your SU puts anything on like this that you would be interested in.

You could always try again with people in your classes too, or if there are people that you haven't really spoken to yet, you could try and speak to them and see if they would want to make plans with you at all. You could just ask if they wanted to go for a coffee after a lecture, or go to the library together and you never know they might want to if it is just after uni and is quite easy.

There might also be other people in your building that you get on with better than your flatmates. Have a look and see if your accommodation puts any events on that you might want to go to, or if you see people in the social areas try and talk to them and see if you meet anyone this way.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

Original post by student5201

Okay, I've got casual friends in my course so i'm not totally alone in lectures and seminars. I know a couple people well throughout the campus, although none in my flat cus they not rly my vibe and i'm not theirs either but idm that.
The trouble is often times I feel quite lonely when I just want to hang out around whether at the library or out in town.
I've tried out the societies, don't get me wrong people are generally nice it's just I didn't find them to be a great match friendship wise...
Now I don't really know what to do :')
Any advice for me or other people feeling like this?

Also first year at UoY, and feel the same :frown:

Reply 4

chumbawomble

First term at uni is hard. It takes time to build proper friendships so keep at it with the ones you already know, and go for the ‘scatter gun’ approach with the ones you don’t - meeting as many people as poss until you find your tribe.

Reply 5

moiramistakeee

also at UoY and i've never felt lonelier or sadder no matter who i've tried to talk to :frown:

(

Reply 6

JKUos

Official Rep

Original post by student5201

Okay, I've got casual friends in my course so i'm not totally alone in lectures and seminars. I know a couple people well throughout the campus, although none in my flat cus they not rly my vibe and i'm not theirs either but idm that.
The trouble is often times I feel quite lonely when I just want to hang out around whether at the library or out in town.
I've tried out the societies, don't get me wrong people are generally nice it's just I didn't find them to be a great match friendship wise...
Now I don't really know what to do :')
Any advice for me or other people feeling like this?

Hi @student5201 ,

I can relate to how you're feeling right now. In my first year, I found it quite hard to start the friendships I am now so lucky to have. It can be really hard, but there are more people that feel this way than you think.

I've got a piece of advice and a potential strategy to suggest to you. The advice is this: its ok to not have found your people yet, it WILL happen. If you put too much pressure and expectation on yourself to be extra sociable like I did in first year, it will simply burn you out! You will find people naturally, University is far too large to not have unexpected encounters and crossing paths with people, which sometimes won't go anywhere, sometimes will. Remember its only 1st term, just in your day to day life for the rest of the year you might come across some people who could turn into friends!

And the strategy is this, make a group chat with just all the people you know on the course, they don't need to have met each other, and suggest on there things like "Anyone wanna study in the library?" or something similar. Sometimes just asking something like that can start fighting the loneliness, as others might be wanting someone to ask for company too and you just don't know it. In my first year, I had several small pockets of people I knew that I just threw in a groupchat and introduced them to each other and now we've got a pretty solid group.

Either that, or as yourself, @moiramistakeee , and @Anonymous#1 are all feeling the same way, you could try getting in touch with each other too 😊

Hope this helps,

Joshua
UoS representative

Reply 7

Coventry University Student Ambassadors

Official Rep

Original post by student5201

Okay, I've got casual friends in my course so i'm not totally alone in lectures and seminars. I know a couple people well throughout the campus, although none in my flat cus they not rly my vibe and i'm not theirs either but idm that.
The trouble is often times I feel quite lonely when I just want to hang out around whether at the library or out in town.
I've tried out the societies, don't get me wrong people are generally nice it's just I didn't find them to be a great match friendship wise...
Now I don't really know what to do :')
Any advice for me or other people feeling like this?

hi there,

It’s completely normal to feel lonely or disconnected at university, especially if you’re still finding your group. Since you've tried societies and didn’t quite click with them, consider exploring different types of events, like cultural nights, open mic events, or themed social gatherings. These can offer low-pressure environments to meet people with shared interests. The Students' Union (SU) Help Desk is also a great resource—they can direct you to clubs, societies, or even mental health support if you’re feeling isolated. Additionally, look into smaller or less traditional clubs that might align more with your interests, like volunteering or academic-focused groups. If you’re still unsure, try attending one-off events or activities, like workshops or social meetups, where you can interact with new people without the expectation of forming a close friendship right away. Keep putting yourself out there, and connections will likely come in time!
I hope this helps you.

Thanks & Regards,
Coventry University Student Ambassador

Reply 8

hearts4xiaa

Original post by moiramistakeee

also at UoY and i've never felt lonelier or sadder no matter who i've tried to talk to :frown:

(

which college are you in?

Reply 9

ls0001

you need to find ways to entertain yourself. thats an important part of growing up. learn to be comfortable with your own company. read books. play musicl do a sudoku. go for a walk. once you have accepted yourself it will be easier for others to accept you.

Reply 10

hearts4xiaa

Original post by Anonymous

Also first year at UoY, and feel the same :frown:

hii which college are u in?

Reply 11

Coventry University Student Ambassadors

Official Rep

Original post by student5201

Okay, I've got casual friends in my course so i'm not totally alone in lectures and seminars. I know a couple people well throughout the campus, although none in my flat cus they not rly my vibe and i'm not theirs either but idm that.
The trouble is often times I feel quite lonely when I just want to hang out around whether at the library or out in town.
I've tried out the societies, don't get me wrong people are generally nice it's just I didn't find them to be a great match friendship wise...
Now I don't really know what to do :')
Any advice for me or other people feeling like this?

Hi there!
Feeling lonely at times is completely normal, especially in your first year as being a student I also felt the same. Since you already have casual friends and know people around campus, try deepening those connections by inviting them for coffee, study sessions, or casual hangouts.

If societies didn’t feel like the right fit, consider volunteering, attending campus events organised by the Students Union, or joining interest-based groups outside uni to meet like-minded people. Also, don’t underestimate the power of small chats in the library or cafes—it’s often how friendships start.

Remember, building strong connections takes time, so be patient with yourself. You’re not alone in feeling this way, and many others are likely looking for deeper friendships too.

Thanks & Regards,
Coventry University Student Ambassador

Reply 12

Casita_Student

Original post by student5201

Okay, I've got casual friends in my course so i'm not totally alone in lectures and seminars. I know a couple people well throughout the campus, although none in my flat cus they not rly my vibe and i'm not theirs either but idm that.
The trouble is often times I feel quite lonely when I just want to hang out around whether at the library or out in town.
I've tried out the societies, don't get me wrong people are generally nice it's just I didn't find them to be a great match friendship wise...
Now I don't really know what to do :')
Any advice for me or other people feeling like this?

Hello,

First of all, great job making an effort to get to know others. It takes a lot of courage to take that first step, and even if it didn’t fully work out, it’s still a great step. It’s perfectly normal to feel this way in your first year, nearly everyone struggles with making friends that early into their uni life as they’re still getting used to the different lifestyle and rhythm than what they were previously used to. The best way is just to take it slow and not rush into friendships you don’t think you’ll feel comfortable in. The uni community is so large that, eventually, you’ll meet others like you. Until then, if you ever need someone to lend you an ear.