Avery Cheeseman, arts and culture editor
College is a lot to take in, no matter what year you are; I remember how I struggled to get situated my first semester. I remember feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to make friends. I know this fear is palpable to many new students this year at Augsburg. But fear not! Readers, I come bearing a list of ways to make friends on campus. I hope that by the end of this article you will have one or two new ideas on how to make friends.
You can start by joining a club. It is relatively easy, and while it may seem cliche, unfortunately, in this case cliches do work. Find one to two clubs that interest you—Auggie Life has no shortage of club events posted weekly. Meeting friends is a lot easier when you have a shared common interest. Asking your Community Advisor questions about clubs or extracurriculars they are involved with is also a great way to get the scoop on any fun clubs that you might not initially think of. For commuters, you may think this is not an option for you. However, as a commuter myself, I have found no shortage of clubs to join. Do not be scared to get involved in clubs; they are not just for residential students!
Making a study group can also be a great way to make friends. Do not be afraid to sit next to people in class, because a group of 2-5 people who you sit near in one or two of your classes can make an excellent study group. Making time to study for even 30 minutes a week could be a great way to get to know your fellow classmates and also keep up with your schoolwork. It can be hard to schedule social times while balancing schoolwork, and this is the perfect solution to both.
This next one might seem like an odd idea, but I have found that carrying extra supplies that people might need is a great way to make friends and start conversations. Bringing things like extra pencils, erasers, Post-its or hygiene products is great to have on the go for yourself, but it is also a good way to start conversations and help out your classmates.
Lastly, be the first person to reach out. It is easy to wait for someone else to make the first move, but you need to take the initiative into your own hands. You are losing a lot of potential friends by waiting for somebody else to introduce themselves. I promise you that it is not as embarrassing or weird as you think it is. Everyone else wants to make friends just as bad as you do.
“It is easy to wait for someone else to make the first move, but you need to take the initiative into your own hands. You are losing a lot of potential friends by waiting for somebody else to introduce themselves.”
Avery cheeseman
Keep these four things in mind when making friends, and I guarantee that by the end of the semester, you will have met tons of new people. The last biggest piece of advice I can give freshmen regarding making friends is to be willing to be a little bit cringe and put yourself out there. To be cringe is to be free.