Finding my people at university

Lexie, an occupational therapy student, shares her experience of finding her people, making connections, and feeling at home at university.

Hi! My name is Lexie, and I'm a third-year BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy student at the University of Bradford. I live at home and commute to campus, which has presented both benefits and limitations in forming connections and finding my people.

What is it like to fit in and make new friends at university?

In my experience, university is a place where a wide range of different people come together. There will always be other people that you can relate to, making fitting in effortless. The University has many social opportunities for students from different groups. Just to name a few, there is representation for international students, neurodivergent students, and LGBTQIA+ students.

At first, making friends can be daunting, but remember that everyone is in the same situation and probably feels the same way! A way to make this easier is to put yourself in environments where making friends will come naturally, such as sitting next to a new person in a lecture, grabbing lunch with a course mate, or joining a sport or society.

How did I make new friends at university?

When I started at Bradford, like most people, I didn’t know anyone. This may sound scary, but I saw it as an opportunity to meet new people and make new connections. For me, the easiest way to make friends was with people in my course. Making friends on your course feels natural as you talk to people in lectures and sit together at lunch time. Making friends made me feel happier and more comfortable, as I had people to sit with whom I could discuss my course and work through challenges. We also meet up frequently outside of university, and it's great to have people to socialise and have fun with.

How did starting university make me feel?

Starting at Bradford was exciting, as I felt I was starting the next chapter of my life and working towards the career I wanted. I was also looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing new things. Despite this, I felt nervous, which is a very normal feeling when you're going to a new place and you don’t know what to expect. To overcome my nerves, I tried to familiarise myself with Bradford as much as possible before starting, so there would be less unexpectedness. For example, I attended the Step Up to HE events, which helped me navigate campus and learn what support was available to students.

Before my first day, I practised my commute to campus and used the map on the Virtual Experience to make sure I knew which buildings I would need to get to. This preparation made my first day feel less daunting and decreased my nerves. After attending a few lectures, I soon made friends with the people in my course and got to know my tutors. Before I knew it, Bradford felt like a second home, and I had forgotten why I had ever felt nervous!

Get ready for launch

New campus. New surroundings. New experiences.
Immerse yourself in our Virtual Experience and get ready for new beginnings.

Finding-your-people-blog-hero-large (2).jpg