Making friends in uni
I had my freshers fair yesterday and i found it fun but I didn't really make any friends and it felt like everyone was already grouped up. It also doesn't help that im a commuter and im not going to the rest of the freshers event ( All the tickets were sold out) but does it get better? I defo do want to join a society but I dont know when you're supposed to.
Reply 1
Original post
by AnonymousI had my freshers fair yesterday and i found it fun but I didn't really make any friends and it felt like everyone was already grouped up. It also doesn't help that im a commuter and im not going to the rest of the freshers event ( All the tickets were sold out) but does it get better? I defo do want to join a society but I dont know when you're supposed to.
Hi Anon,
Which university are you at? People have probably gone to freshers fair with their flat, and although they seem grouped now it doesn't mean no one is open to making friends.
The first thing I'd do is check to see if there are any commuter events held during freshers - this is a great way to meet other people in the same situation as you. I'd also look out for any course-related events, as people are unlikely to be with their flatmates and will be looking for friends on their degree.
Finally, does your university run a separate societies fair? If so, that's where all the information about joining will be, and the people running the stalls will let you know the society's socials and when their events are on. If there isn't a fair, maybe check out your Student Union's website.
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Reply 2
Original post
by Lancaster Student AmbassadorHi Anon,
Which university are you at? People have probably gone to freshers fair with their flat, and although they seem grouped now it doesn't mean no one is open to making friends.
The first thing I'd do is check to see if there are any commuter events held during freshers - this is a great way to meet other people in the same situation as you. I'd also look out for any course-related events, as people are unlikely to be with their flatmates and will be looking for friends on their degree.
Finally, does your university run a separate societies fair? If so, that's where all the information about joining will be, and the people running the stalls will let you know the society's socials and when their events are on. If there isn't a fair, maybe check out your Student Union's website.
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Which university are you at? People have probably gone to freshers fair with their flat, and although they seem grouped now it doesn't mean no one is open to making friends.
The first thing I'd do is check to see if there are any commuter events held during freshers - this is a great way to meet other people in the same situation as you. I'd also look out for any course-related events, as people are unlikely to be with their flatmates and will be looking for friends on their degree.
Finally, does your university run a separate societies fair? If so, that's where all the information about joining will be, and the people running the stalls will let you know the society's socials and when their events are on. If there isn't a fair, maybe check out your Student Union's website.
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Huddersfield! and our society fair was yesterday which I went to
Reply 3
Original post
by AnonymousHuddersfield! and our society fair was yesterday which I went to
Hi Anon,
Then I'd recommend looking through societies here and reaching out to them through their contact information if you have any questions about joining! A lot of societies will have a Facebook or Instagram where they post about their events.
Rebecca (Lancaster Student Ambassador)
Reply 4
Hi Anon,
I'm sure most people are feeling the same, once you join a society you will make a group of friends you see on a weekly basis. And also, its really early days - once your course gets up and running, you will meet more people both off your course and any of the modules that overlap with other courses.
Good with with everything! 😀
I'm sure most people are feeling the same, once you join a society you will make a group of friends you see on a weekly basis. And also, its really early days - once your course gets up and running, you will meet more people both off your course and any of the modules that overlap with other courses.
Good with with everything! 😀
Reply 5
Original post
by AnonymousI had my freshers fair yesterday and i found it fun but I didn't really make any friends and it felt like everyone was already grouped up. It also doesn't help that im a commuter and im not going to the rest of the freshers event ( All the tickets were sold out) but does it get better? I defo do want to join a society but I dont know when you're supposed to.
Hi there,
I am sorry you have had this experience at the start of your university journey, and I know how you feel as I felt quite similar when I first started uni. Firstly, I just want to say that it really does get better and easier the more you settle in and start to meet people, so try to be positive and stick it out, even though it might feel tricky right now.
With making friends, I know it can feel hard when it seems like people are already in groups, but most people really will be open to meeting people and making friends with new people so stay positive and try and chat to lots of new people that you meet.
In terms of societies, I think it sounds like a good idea to join one! I always say that they are great ways of doing something you enjoy while meeting lots of new people at the same time so definitely look into this. There may be a societies fair which you can go to, or sometimes you can just look online and contact the society so you can find out more information about when and where they meet etc. They have varying levels of commitment depending on which you pick, so you could always join two if they didn't require as much commitment (and depending on how expensive they are!)
I think that uni events are also a great way of meeting people. Often the SU will put events on where you can meet lots of new people and these are always worth going to.I know you said lots of freshers events have sold out, but there will bd loads on throughout the year so just keep your eye out! I also agree with what someone said on here that they sometimes hold commuter student events where you can meet other students who commute, just as an extra way to potentially meet people!
I also think that you will meet people once you start your course, if you haven't already. Nobody will really know each other so it won't feel as though people are already grouped together! Try and sit with new people each week, and chat to as many people as you can. You could also see if they wanted to go for coffee, or food after your lectures too, or even just to the library when you have work to do!
I hope some of this helps,
Lucy -SHU student ambassador
Reply 6
Hey there 👋
Nice to meet you! My name is Siobhan and I’m a recent graduate from the University of Lancashire 🎓 I’m glad to hear that you had fun at freshers and are making the most of it!!
In terms of friends, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have it all figured out straight away. These groups that you are seeing are most likely people sticking to the first person they’ve met or from sharing a flat with, and freshers is definitely not the only way to make friends!!
Friendships will most likely develop more in the next few weeks as the awkward stage starts to die down and you get mores familiar with your course-mates and people from societies if you decide to join one!
I personally met some of my closest friends about 2 months into uni and even in 3rd year!!
In terms of commuting, don’t be put off by this, as in my friend group I was the only one who stayed on campus. You can still make plenty of friends, if you travel in, from your course, societies and online.
You can check out if your uni has any social media pages where you can connect to others for the rest of freshers week, as you couldn’t get tickets for events. The facebook or WhatsApp groups ☺️
Also in terms of societies, there is no set day that you have to join and you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. You can normally find all the info about this on your uni student union page and see if there’s any that stand out to you.
I know it seems daunting now but honestly it will start to get easier as you go along 😄
I hope this has helped and please let me know if you have any more questions
Siobhan (Student Ambassador for the University of Lancashire)
Nice to meet you! My name is Siobhan and I’m a recent graduate from the University of Lancashire 🎓 I’m glad to hear that you had fun at freshers and are making the most of it!!
In terms of friends, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to have it all figured out straight away. These groups that you are seeing are most likely people sticking to the first person they’ve met or from sharing a flat with, and freshers is definitely not the only way to make friends!!
Friendships will most likely develop more in the next few weeks as the awkward stage starts to die down and you get mores familiar with your course-mates and people from societies if you decide to join one!
I personally met some of my closest friends about 2 months into uni and even in 3rd year!!
In terms of commuting, don’t be put off by this, as in my friend group I was the only one who stayed on campus. You can still make plenty of friends, if you travel in, from your course, societies and online.
You can check out if your uni has any social media pages where you can connect to others for the rest of freshers week, as you couldn’t get tickets for events. The facebook or WhatsApp groups ☺️
Also in terms of societies, there is no set day that you have to join and you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. You can normally find all the info about this on your uni student union page and see if there’s any that stand out to you.
I know it seems daunting now but honestly it will start to get easier as you go along 😄
I hope this has helped and please let me know if you have any more questions
Siobhan (Student Ambassador for the University of Lancashire)
(edited 1 month ago)
Reply 7
Original post
by AnonymousI had my freshers fair yesterday and i found it fun but I didn't really make any friends and it felt like everyone was already grouped up. It also doesn't help that im a commuter and im not going to the rest of the freshers event ( All the tickets were sold out) but does it get better? I defo do want to join a society but I dont know when you're supposed to.
Hi There!
I'm sorry to hear that you are finding it difficult to make friends straight away at university. Sometimes these things take time, but there are lots of things you can do to find some friends at university.
Join Clubs and Societies
This is always what I advise doing. Find something you are passionate about and see if the university has a club or society around that topic. People at clubs and societies are usually really welcoming and friendly, and you could make close friends within the society.
Socialise With Your Course Mates
Perhaps suggest to go for some food or go and grab a drink after a lecture to the people in your class. The worst they can do is say no. Don't forget, these are people you will be seeing for the next three years and you already have something in common with them (your passion for your course), so it's worth getting to know them on a personal level.
Join Group Chats
See if there are any group chats you can join with people from your university, a lot of the time there are freshers group chats that the upcoming students make to get to know each other.
Buddy Schemes
If you are still struggling, see if your university has a buddy scheme. This could help you meet new people and make new friends with some guided assistance from the university to ensure that you are not lonely and you are making friends.
I hope this helps! I know Freshers week can be a bit overwhelming and it feels like there is a lot of pressure to make friends in that first week, but don't worry- it will happen.
From Josh
Official LJMU Student Rep
Reply 8
Original post
by AnonymousI had my freshers fair yesterday and i found it fun but I didn't really make any friends and it felt like everyone was already grouped up. It also doesn't help that im a commuter and im not going to the rest of the freshers event ( All the tickets were sold out) but does it get better? I defo do want to join a society but I dont know when you're supposed to.
I get what you mean…freshers can feel a bit overwhelming when it looks like everyone’s already in groups, but honestly a lot of people are just sticking with whoever they met first, not necessarily their “forever friends.” It definitely does get better once lectures start and you’re seeing the same people regularly, that’s when friendships tend to form more naturally.
I was a commuter too, so I know it can feel harder when you’re not around for every single event. But commuting doesn’t mean you’ll miss out, it just means you’ll probably build your connections in different ways, like through your course, study groups, or societies. And on that note, you can join societies at pretty much any time, not just freshers week. Most of them run taster sessions or have sign-ups going on for weeks, so there’s no rush.
The fact that you enjoyed the fair and want to get involved is a really good start. Give yourself time, it might take a little longer to find your people, but you absolutely will. And in the meantime, don’t be afraid to ask someone on your course to grab coffee or lunch between lectures…those little moments often lead to genuine friendships.
Good luck going forward! Sophie 🙂
Reply 9
I just went to this society event that i was really exicted about and i waited like 2 hours for it to start as my classes had finished early and it went so bad. I sat with these second years and they didn't even acknowlege my existance, they just spoke to each other for the whole 2 hours and also when it was my turn for my introduction everyone spoke over me 
I also found out my seminar classes today and i got to the classroom super early and when everyone else got into the class nobody sat near me even tho theres not that much space( if you factor in everyone) Then after i had a w hour break so i ate my lunch alone and i felt upset that i had nobody to talk to then afterwards i spent the rest of my time at the libary as i had nothing better do to i just feel all alone everyone is already in friendship groups and i cried while taking the train home
I also found out my seminar classes today and i got to the classroom super early and when everyone else got into the class nobody sat near me even tho theres not that much space( if you factor in everyone) Then after i had a w hour break so i ate my lunch alone and i felt upset that i had nobody to talk to then afterwards i spent the rest of my time at the libary as i had nothing better do to i just feel all alone everyone is already in friendship groups and i cried while taking the train homeReply 10
Original post
by AnonymousI had my freshers fair yesterday and i found it fun but I didn't really make any friends and it felt like everyone was already grouped up. It also doesn't help that im a commuter and im not going to the rest of the freshers event ( All the tickets were sold out) but does it get better? I defo do want to join a society but I dont know when you're supposed to.
Hi,
I am a commuter too and I was worried about making friends too. I would say joining your unis freshers group on WhatsApp/ Facebook/ insta is helpful, I personally did that and got to speak to a few people before freshers started and on the day we went together to an event. I have also met people spontaneously and made friends during freshers week, a lot of people are in groups but there are people who are by themselves too and maybe just chatting can lead to a conversation and eventually hanging out together ( it happened to me!)
Even if you don't make friends in freshers week don't worry at all, you would make friends in your course. Attend the classes, try to be friendly and chat to the person next to you, it could be something simple like have you finished the article its long😂. your classmates will also be looking for friends in the course so it is easy to make friends there☺️Societies are also a great way to meet people with similar interest and make friends.
Best wishes
Uni of Kent student reps
Reply 11
Original post
by AnonymousI had my freshers fair yesterday and i found it fun but I didn't really make any friends and it felt like everyone was already grouped up. It also doesn't help that im a commuter and im not going to the rest of the freshers event ( All the tickets were sold out) but does it get better? I defo do want to join a society but I dont know when you're supposed to.
Hi @Anonymous 👋
Thats completely normal to feel that way. Glad you enjoyed your freshers fair though ☺️ some people tend to already make groups beforehand and some people make their groups and friends later on which is normal honestly!
Not going to freshers events is fine, you still have many opportunities to make friends and will be able to make friends with your coursemates as well 😊
Society wise, you can join whenever really. Since freshers fair is finished then I assume your University would let you join societies by now!
Essex Student Rep - Lavanya 💜
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