Meeting new people on campus

I’m sure you heard it all the time when you were a kid: Don’t talk to strangers. Well, as a new freshman in college, you need to start talking to all the strangers you can find …that is, unless you just want to hang out in your dorm room by yourself for the next four years!

It might seem obvious, but actually hanging out on campus is the best way to meet other students. If you are visiting your boyfriend or girlfriend off campus every weekend, then yeah, it’s going to be harder to get connected. So, enjoy your surroundings! There’s lots of ways to get yourself out there, whether you live on campus or off, so we’ve put together a Top 10 List to get you started:

Top 10 ways to meet other students

10. Strike up conversations with students in your classes. People love to talk about themselves, so the best way to get them talking is to just ask questions.

9. Get to know your roommates better. Forgive your roommate for not putting away her hairdryer and go chat and de-stress over some frozen yogurt.

8. Join a campus club or two to meet students with similar interests. And think outside the box – consider starting your own club if what you are interested in isn’t at your campus yet.

7. Consider whether rushing a sorority or fraternity is a fit for you. Talk to your RA and/or other upperclassmen to get more perspective on what it’s really like.

6. Play intramural sports. It’s a great way to get some exercise (aka fight the Freshmen 15) and you’ll meet fun people who aren’t afraid to make fools of themselves with sports they might not have ever played before – how’s that for getting outside your comfort zone?!

5. Host a game night in your hall. Get out the old board games…remember those? In the days before Wii and Guitar Hero? Try Apples to Apples , Catch Phrase, or Would you Rather…? for some hilarious moments.

4. Do your homework in the library instead of your room or, I know you might not want to have to start thinking about this already, but better to get ready for it now instead of later, organize a study group for an upcoming exam.

3. Eat your meals in the cafeteria and challenge yourself to talk to new people each time – even if it only means sharing a laugh with someone about the newest casserole sensation.

2. Use Facebook to connect with students at your new campus and organize face-to-face get-togethers. Take a look at your new Facebook friend’s pictures from Spain or Hawaii or even the neighborhood BBQ to get the dialogue going.

1. Be yourself and be positive. When in doubt, smile. You will be amazed at how much it can do.

Remember, you are not in this alone – everyone else in your freshman class is right there alongside you, meeting people and navigating the new social scene just like you are. And of course, you can always bounce ideas off of your Coach or talk through suggestions for how to meet people. Your life-long friends from college may just be the people you meet in the next few weeks!