This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Towson chapter.
Are you still finding it hard to adjust to college life? Are you having trouble making friends? If you answered yes to the previous questions, this article is for you!
- Talk to your R.A. – They are there to help and support you! Your R.A.’s job is to make sure you’re safe and not getting into trouble, but they are also supposed to be a support system for you if you let them be. Let your R.A. know about your struggles with school and/or making friends and they will definitely be able to give you valuable, unbiased advice. They will also point you to resources that can help solve your problem. They know a lot about that kind of stuff! In my personal experiences, I’ve noticed talking to someone while going through a hardship helps you feel less alone and can help you find the solution to your problem a lot faster and easier than bottling things up and trying to figure things out on your own.
- Attend floor/dorm/school events – Floor and building bonding events are an easy and fun way to meet people with something in common with you … living in the same place! People who go to floor and dorm events also want to make friends and meet people so it will definitely be a friendly atmosphere! There are also many exciting (and free!) events going on around campus daily. Personally, my favorite evens to attend are the sporting events! They are a great way to showcase school spirit and meet people who also want to cheer on Towson!
- Put yourself out there – Now, this one is a lot easier said than done but it is an important one. As much as we all want others to make the first move, most people are waiting for everyone else to initiate contact! So this is where you have to put yourself out there and be that person to make the first move. Start small, start with your roommate(s) and suitemates if you aren’t already talking to them. Sit your roommate(s)/suitemates down and just talk! Get to know them! Ask them to get lunch/dinner with you sometime! It’s a small start but it’ll get you more comfortable with talking to other people. From suitemates you can move to floormates and so on and so forth. Starting conversations on social media is also a good way to meet people and make friends!
- Make the most out of every opportunity – You won’t know what you truly enjoy/don’t enjoy if you don’t try it out. Whether that is joining a club or going to their interest meeting, going out with a friend, attending floor events or dorm events, etc! Just go for it! How can you say you don’t like anyone on your floor if you’ve never actually talked to them? Why not look into a club you have an interest in even if you don’t know anyone else doing it? Give everything a chance (while being responsible of course!) Maybe in the process of trying new things, you’ll meet other people who are trying something new for the first time too!
- Socializing in class? – Class can be a hard place to make friends since the reason people go is to get the information they need and leave. It’s not always the friendliest environment, but if you habitually sit next to someone every class, don’t hesitate to ask about the homework before class to start a conversation. You’ll realize quickly that they probably love/hate the class just as much as you do! Plus, it may make the stress of finding a group partner for a future assignment a little easier!
People are a lot nicer than you may think and a lot of people are just as shy as you, whether they show it or not. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and make the most out of your time here at Towson. I believe in you! Now go get them, Tiger!