how to make friends outside of uni

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.

i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Reply 1

LancashireRep4

Official Rep

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Hi @cherryblossomed

This is a great question! 😊

I'd love to add my input as I'm currently in a similar situation with moving house and wanting to meet new people. My first recommendation is to take a look for some local clubs, many of these are advertised through Facebook groups. Some ideas are book clubs, coffee mornings, sports clubs, hiking and more!

Another way is getting a part-time job. This way you could meet people through work, while also earning some money!

Aside from these options, there are apps that help you connect with others. While I personally do not have experience with them myself, there are some that pair you in groups with like-minded people and arrange events for you all to attend, such as bowling, hiking, darts and more.

Making friend as an adult may seem hard, but there are so many other people looking for friends and many groups/ events set up to connect with others.

I hope this helps, please feel free to ask me any questions,
-Sophia (University of Lancashire)

Reply 2

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Hi there!

I am Ilya, a final year Cyber Security student at De Montfort University. Let me jump straight into answering your question. Well, I made a lot of friends outside of the university when I started working part time. Also, doing a placement year really helped, as I had to move to a completely new city for the whole year. At the same time, I met many people through computer games, and attending different public events in the city. Personally, I believe it's a matter of being open to people and thinking of different topics you may find interesting to discuss with them.

I hope you found it at least a little bit helpful :smile:

Ilya,
Cyber Security student at De Montfort University

Reply 3

University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Hi there! (:

Ive made a few friends at my part-time job in retail and also while doing work for the university in open days and other events that other students that i likely wouldnt meet outwith this😊

Ive also attended some events ran by my uni, depends on your uni but a lot of the time the student union will have events being ran posted on the website which are fab to attend if your interested in them and meet some new people who you'll likely already have something in common with!

also met a few people at concerts and other music events at music shops - depends on your interests but definietly worth having a wee look into your local area and the activities being ran - one of my friends is in a running club nearby where she made some friends from the area outwith uni (:

hope this helps, best of luck 🤗

Emily
Year 3, Chemistry
Official University Of Strathclyde Rep

Reply 4

EssexStudentRep

Official Rep

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Hi @cherryblossomed👋

Hope you are well. That is a good question! It would be helpful to check on facebook mainly and occassionally instagram can also be useful. Facebook is full of groups such as book clubs and walking clubs or even dog walking clubs too! There are plenty of opportunities to meet people online there so filter in your location on there and have a look through any groups that interest you 🙂

Essex Student Rep- Lavanya 💜

Reply 5

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Heyy 👋 @cherryblossomed

As a student, I'm still navigating friendships and trying to find my 'group', and I've realised it's something that naturally takes time. As intimidating as it can feel, I try to put myself out there and take part in different opportunities because they create great social setting to meet new people.

I've made friends both within my course and outside of it through lectures and seminars, fresher's events, work opportunities, the Student Union and societies. I think it's really important not to hold yourself back out of fear, often our comfort zone is what limits us the most. There are also many others in the same position who want to make friends but are too nervous to take the first step.

One of my positive experiences was volunteering at a charity, where I met two amazing girls. We got on really well, exchanged details and started meeting up afterwards and we're still in contact now.

So, putting yourself out there and saying yes to opportunities really does help - you never know who you might meet along the way. (Try out everything and if it doesn't work for you, try something else. You know what is best and what works for you)

Good Luck and I hope this helps!! 🙂👍️

Sameeha,
Psychology Student at De Montfort University

Reply 6

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Hi @cherryblossomed,

Some cities have girl groups that you can join. Manchester along with Birmingham and Liverpool have Girlsonthego which is a female run company that put on events each week, they do crafts, yoga, coffee ‘dates’, galentines events and encourage people to come solo and make friends there.

If you aren't in one of those three cities, there are other groups who do similar or the same thing. It’s just that they are the big one in Manchester. There is one called ladiescircle and they have like 100 clubs across the UK but you’d have to search yourself whether there is one in your area.

I would also recommend joining a club. Or as plenty of others have suggested getting part-time work and making friends there.

Hope this helps,

Eleanor
University of Salford Rep

Reply 7

Foulkes billy

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Ile be your freind

Reply 8

EssexStudentRep

Official Rep

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Hi @cherryblossomed👋

Hope you are well. Some good options would be perhaps volunteering or getting a job? This will allow you to meet some new people and make friends. There are also plenty of facebook groups that you can filter to your location and see book clubs or walking clubs which may be helpful for you to join. You can meet plenty of people through online platforms via groups. I met a lot of new people by volunteering and made plenty of close friends through that experience!

Essex Student Rep- Lavanya 💜

Reply 9

Emma:-)

Entertainment Forum Helper, Careers Forum Helper

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Could you not join other societies? You may meet new friends there.
Or how about getting a part time job (if you dont already have one)? You would meet friends there.

Reply 10

UoW Jasmine

Official Rep

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Hi, it’s great that you’re thinking of how to branch out!

If you're in a big city, definitely look into events outside of uni that are geared toward young people - things like social sports leagues, casual running or hiking groups, book clubs, craft workshops, language exchanges, music gigs etc. These often attract people looking to meet others and can be a relaxed, low-pressure way to connect - Eventbrite could be a good place to start finding these. The only disadvantage is that these events tend to be considerably more expensive than equivalent similar events hosted by uni societies.

For that reason, I’d also recommend not writing off uni stuff entirely - sometimes trying out a different society that’s a better match for your current interests or personality can make a big difference. Or even just suggesting a casual coffee or study session to one of your in-class acquaintances - it can feel awkward at first but might open up something more given you already have a connection and regular place of seeing them.

As for Bumble BFF, definitely don’t feel embarrassed! Loads of people use it and similar apps, and many do end up finding genuine friendships that way. It's worth giving it a shot if you're open to it and you can always stop if it doesn’t feel like it's going anywhere.

Wishing you the best of luck!
Best wishes,
Jasmine (Student Ambassador)

Reply 11

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Original post

by cherryblossomed

hiii i’m 20f and i’ve been in uni for abt 3 years now. i have a lot of acquaintances—people i’m friendly with in class but don’t really talk to much outside of it, and the same in the two other societies i’m in. my friends are currently being a bit off with me and so i’m wondering where to make friends outside of a university environment.
i’ve been suggested to use bumble friends which is kind of embarrassing to me but if anyone has any success stories i’d be open to try it. :smile:

Hi,

You could try getting involved in local community-run events rather than university based ones. A lot of university cities have instagram pages that organise socials, for example Girls On The Go (as mentioned above), book clubs, walking groups, fitness classes, or creative workshops. These are usually really relaxed and full of those wanting to make new friends.

A part-time job is another great way to meet people naturally, especially in retail, hospitality, or gyms, and volunteering with local charities can help you meet like-minded people while doing something meaningful.

Making friends outside uni can take a bit more effort, but it’s very possible. It’s just about finding the right spaces where friendships can grow beyond convenience.

Wishing you all the best,

Tayba
Student Rep

Reply 12

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Hi There,
I just wanted to come on and share some of my own experiences. There are lots of ways to meet people and make new friends outside of university, but here are a few that worked for me:

Do things you enjoy and talk to people there
One thing I love doing is going to the theatre. Last year I want to go and see Calamity Jane the musical and I was at stage door to meet the cast after the show and I started talking to another person at stage door whilst we waited for the cast to come out. We just exchanged social media accounts and have stayed in touch since. So maybe find something you really enjoy whether it is going to the theatre, cinemagoing or maybe watching some sports, and talk to some of the other people there.

Meet Up Events
There is an app called 'Meet Up' and you just put in your location and it shows you all the events in your area. There are all sorts from chess clubs and book clubs to meals out and nights out. Just sign up to the ones you want to attend and go to them. They are full of people who are also looking to meet new people around the city. It can be very nerve wracking especially if you don't know anyone there, but it is worth it and I have met some great friends through it.

Part Time Work/ Volunteering
Get a part time job or volunteer somewhere that you enjoy. I used to volunteer for a small film/TV website where I would write reviews and articles for the site, but there were always socials each week like pub quizzes, theatre trips, coffee meet ups, etc. Through this I was able to meet the other people who wrote for the site and make some great friends.

Meet Friends of Friends
If you are planning on meeting up with some friends from university, perhaps encourage them to bring some of their friends along. This could widen your social circle by meeting some of their friends that they know from away from university.

I hope this helps,
From Josh
Official LJMU Student Rep