Making friends - Grad in undergraduate medicine

I'm a graduate and have started undergraduate med this year. I was looking forward to meeting new people and making friends, however we're over halfway through the term and I've struggled to find people that I click with. From the first day it seemed quite cliquey and that people had made friends with one another from halls, some even know each other from sixth form. I wasn't expecting this as during my undergrad everyone was quite open to speaking to one another and I was lucky to find my friendship group only a couple of weeks into starting uni.
I did go to society meet and greet events at the beginning of the year however there weren't many freshers or I already knew them. I have my friends from my undergrad who I see and speak to regularly but it would be nice to have some good friends on the course since it's a long and intensive course.
Has anyone else experienced something similar and did things get better? I'm worried it's getting to the point where it will be too late to make friends and people will have established their friendship groups.

Hi,
It’s completely understandable to feel this way. Starting a new course as a graduate can feel quite different from your first degree, and it’s normal for friendships to take a little longer to form.
I’d recommend continuing to put yourself out there and making the most of your small group settings. Workshops, practical sessions and even choosing to sit near the same people in lectures can naturally create opportunities to talk and get to know others. Even something simple like “How are you finding this class?” can open the door to ongoing conversations.
Getting involved in a regular society can also help, as seeing the same faces each week makes it easier to build genuine connections over time.
A lot of students feel exactly how you do but don’t always express it, so try not to be discouraged. If you keep putting yourself in situations where you can naturally interact with others, friendships will develop gradually, even if it takes a little longer than it did during your first degree.
Wishing you all the best,
Tayba
Student Rep

Thank you for the advice. I will keep trying to put myself out there, it's just sometimes it feels a bit disheartening, especially since I was excited to start the course.

No worries, I completely understand. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself and focus on enjoying the course and the experiences it brings. The right people often come along naturally over time, and you’ve already shown initiative by putting yourself out there, which really counts.
If you also do want to talk to someone about how you’re feeling, your university’s wellbeing services are always there to help.

Anyone experienced something similar?

I'm a graduate and have started undergraduate med this year. I was looking forward to meeting new people and making friends, however we're over halfway through the term and I've struggled to find people that I click with. From the first day it seemed quite cliquey and that people had made friends with one another from halls, some even know each other from sixth form. I wasn't expecting this as during my undergrad everyone was quite open to speaking to one another and I was lucky to find my friendship group only a couple of weeks into starting uni.
I did go to society meet and greet events at the beginning of the year however there weren't many freshers or I already knew them. I have my friends from my undergrad who I see and speak to regularly but it would be nice to have some good friends on the course since it's a long and intensive course.
Has anyone else experienced something similar and did things get better? I'm worried it's getting to the point where it will be too late to make friends and people will have established their friendship groups.

I'm a graduate and have started undergraduate med this year. I was looking forward to meeting new people and making friends, however we're over halfway through the term and I've struggled to find people that I click with. From the first day it seemed quite cliquey and that people had made friends with one another from halls, some even know each other from sixth form. I wasn't expecting this as during my undergrad everyone was quite open to speaking to one another and I was lucky to find my friendship group only a couple of weeks into starting uni.
I did go to society meet and greet events at the beginning of the year however there weren't many freshers or I already knew them. I have my friends from my undergrad who I see and speak to regularly but it would be nice to have some good friends on the course since it's a long and intensive course.
Has anyone else experienced something similar and did things get better? I'm worried it's getting to the point where it will be too late to make friends and people will have established their friendship groups.

I'm a graduate and have started undergraduate med this year. I was looking forward to meeting new people and making friends, however we're over halfway through the term and I've struggled to find people that I click with. From the first day it seemed quite cliquey and that people had made friends with one another from halls, some even know each other from sixth form. I wasn't expecting this as during my undergrad everyone was quite open to speaking to one another and I was lucky to find my friendship group only a couple of weeks into starting uni.
I did go to society meet and greet events at the beginning of the year however there weren't many freshers or I already knew them. I have my friends from my undergrad who I see and speak to regularly but it would be nice to have some good friends on the course since it's a long and intensive course.
Has anyone else experienced something similar and did things get better? I'm worried it's getting to the point where it will be too late to make friends and people will have established their friendship groups.

I clicked on this thread out of curiosity as I'm hoping to do graduate medicine next year, but your situation does remind me of my current undergraduate degree. It is a bit cliquey. Superficially I got along with some people in lectures, but it was clear that when lectures finished, they'd rather hang out with their other friends than me, which was fair enough if a bit lonely. A friendship slowly blossomed between some people in my course and myself, but it took a lot of time and effort, it didn't happen overnight! In fact it sort of only started coming properly into its own in the second semester of year 1. All of this is to say, it takes time to build and cultivate friendships, so just carry on putting yourself out there and you'll find your crowd, sooner or later.

Hi there,
When I started university and everyone seemed to already have friends, I stopped trying to join parties or big groups. Instead, I just focused on meeting people through studying. I would ask people right after a class if they wanted to go to the library and go over the notes together. Or if they want to study for an hour on Friday, or something like that.
This is a really simple way to talk to people without feeling awkward. The people you study with and struggle with usually become your closest friends later on, because you are spending real time working on important things together.
Take care,
Ilya,
Cyber Security student at De Montfort University

Me too. I am not an graduate but im doing medicine 1st year, I know it can be so hard to make any friends in this course. I came in 2 weeks late and people had already buddied up, and here I am sitting by myself in the long lectures. I too tried going to the society events, but everyone there seemed to go with friends too, so at this point it just felt like a waste of time.

Hi @Anonymous 👋
This is a common problem with many people so do not worry 🙂 It is good you are putting yourself out there and going to societies and events which is a good step so well done. It is not too late to make friends no and there is time as well!
People form friendship groups but new people are always added so it wont be a s big of a problem. It is good you do talk to some people already so that is comforting but maybe in the future you could approach new people more and talk to them first as usually people are hesitant to talk first and avoid it despite them wanting to try and approach you!
I suggest just getting more out of your comfort zone even more and approaching people in class or societies and events and having a simple chat to get to know them 😊 If you still don't find people that is ok, you have time. The best friends always come after a while anyway and it is better to spend more time waiting for a true friend than a friend who is more of a convenience which happens a lot in the first years at university!
Essex Student Rep- Lavanya 💜

I'm a graduate and have started undergraduate med this year. I was looking forward to meeting new people and making friends, however we're over halfway through the term and I've struggled to find people that I click with. From the first day it seemed quite cliquey and that people had made friends with one another from halls, some even know each other from sixth form. I wasn't expecting this as during my undergrad everyone was quite open to speaking to one another and I was lucky to find my friendship group only a couple of weeks into starting uni.
I did go to society meet and greet events at the beginning of the year however there weren't many freshers or I already knew them. I have my friends from my undergrad who I see and speak to regularly but it would be nice to have some good friends on the course since it's a long and intensive course.
Has anyone else experienced something similar and did things get better? I'm worried it's getting to the point where it will be too late to make friends and people will have established their friendship groups.

I understand how you feel, it is tough building friendships. I know from my undergrad that it does take time and effort to build good friendships, which I was okay with but after a while it started to get to me a bit, hearing everyone saying you’ll make friends for life in med. It does make you feel a bit lonely and like you’re missing out.
Do you commute or live in accommodation?

I'm a graduate and have started undergraduate med this year. I was looking forward to meeting new people and making friends, however we're over halfway through the term and I've struggled to find people that I click with. From the first day it seemed quite cliquey and that people had made friends with one another from halls, some even know each other from sixth form. I wasn't expecting this as during my undergrad everyone was quite open to speaking to one another and I was lucky to find my friendship group only a couple of weeks into starting uni.
I did go to society meet and greet events at the beginning of the year however there weren't many freshers or I already knew them. I have my friends from my undergrad who I see and speak to regularly but it would be nice to have some good friends on the course since it's a long and intensive course.
Has anyone else experienced something similar and did things get better? I'm worried it's getting to the point where it will be too late to make friends and people will have established their friendship groups.

Well I used to live in uni accomodation, but recently some things have happened, so I am going to try to end my contract and commute from my house. What about you?

I see, hope you’re doing okay. I commute to uni.