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How to Make Friends Before University Starts

Here's some handy tips for making friends with the people you’ll be spending the next three or more years with now, so you can avoid awkward introductions on moving in day...

Holly Sawyer
by Holly Sawyer
Last Updated:
22 Aug 2019

Going away to university and being surrounded by complete strangers is no doubt a completely new and scary sounding experience. But finding a way of socialising with these people before you go to uni will help calm your nerves and get you off to a good start.

Here are a couple of handy tips on how to make friends with the people on your course or in your halls before you head off to uni, so you can jump straight in to having fun as soon as you get there...

Log Onto Your Accommodation Portal

Some universities (such as Bournemouth University) will let you view your accommodation portal before you move in. These sites will sometimes have the names of the people you will be sharing your flats with this year, and a simple search on a social network will allow you to contact these people and start talking now.

Find Your University Page on Facebook

University Facebook

It’s always worth checking to see if your university has a Facebook page before you head off there. If you’re not sure or if you struggle to find it, your University welcome pack should contain their social network details.

Logging on and leaving comments on their page will help you chat to other students to ease your nerves, discover the details of your upcoming fresher’s events, provide links to fresher’s packages to buy in advance and find people who may be on your course.

Several universities also have apps, so downloading these now will save time later.

Reach Out to People on Your Course

Finding people on your course may be simpler than you imagine, with once again the help of Facebook pages aiding this otherwise difficult process.

If no one has commented from your course yet, why not be the person to start this process? Simply leaving a comment asking if anyone is doing the same course as you can start a domino effect, and before you know it you’ve found several people in the same position as you. Messaging these individuals not only breaks the ice but lets you find many people with the same interests as you, a win-win for all involved.

Find Your Halls Facebook Page

This will more than likely be a student-created page rather than one made by the university, but most students will migrate to these pages in an attempt to find their flatmates.

Of course not all students will be using these pages, so you might not find everyone you will be living with, but even finding people on your floor will provide some friendly faces to turn to during your first couple of days.

Start a Group Chat With Your Flatmates

If you do find some people from your flat, it’s a good idea to start a group message with them so you can get to know each other.

Whether you’ve got common interests or thinking of going to a particular fresher’s event, bonding over any topic at all gives you all something to talk about when you see each other, and will calm any nerves you may have about not knowing anyone.

A group chat also allows you to discuss the things you’ll be bringing to university with you, such as a kettle or toaster, ensuring that you don’t all bring the same things with you (there’s always one house with over 20 pots and pans) as well as making sure you aren’t missing any key objects (again, there’s always one house with no cutlery, don’t be them).

Make The Most of Fresher’s Week

freshers week

Fresher’s Week (or fortnight if you’re really lucky) is an endless stream of events that will provide you with many opportunities to make friends before your course starts, breaking the ice and most importantly allowing you to have fun.

This is the time when you’ll also find the societies you’re interested in, so you’ll be mixing with people who share your interests. Fresher’s Week will be one of the most stress-free times you’ll have when you’re away, so it’s important to make the most of it.

NEXT:

Freshers' Week Checklist - What to Pack to Take to University

Going to University: Expectation vs Reality

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