My advice and tips!

Starting university in a new place can be very scary. Often people worry about making friends. This is completely normal! Remember everyone is in the same boat with many people not knowing anyone at all and being in a completely new place and environment. In this blog we will discuss different ways of making friends at university and some conversation starters to get the conversation going.

Many students have a huge worry of whether they will make friends or not, but after a few weeks of university they have met so many people and aren’t even thinking about it anymore. There is so many people with so many different interests and you will find your crowd. Don’t worry if you don’t make friends straight away, there are so many different ways to meet people all year round it isn’t always just about the first few weeks.

The first way you can make friends and meet people is through our Reslife events. Our events are a great way to meet new people and make friends. We have lots of events in September but these also run all year round. Our friendly Reslife assistants will be there to greet you and are always up for a chat. They are a regular friendly face you will get to know over the year. Some of our events in September include therapy dogs, crafts, games, a bake sale and walking tours. Head over to our instagram @reslifecovuni to find out more information about all of our upcoming events. We always have different people attending, many of whom also want to make friends, so it is a great way to get involved and meet people.

Another way to make friends is through your flat and your course. Moving into a new flat can be daunting and scary but be sure to put yourself out there. Put a note in the kitchen or knock on your flatmates doors asking if they would be up for a movie night or want to go out for some food or drinks? Chances are they’re also feeling scared and want to meet people so they may really appreciate it. As for your course, sit next to different people every class. These people will often have the same interests as you so it is great to have friends in class. Try and talk to as many people as you can and think of questions you could ask such as where are you from, why did you choose this course, how are you finding Coventry? Often opening up the conversation can be the hardest part and after that you can start chatting.

Another way of making friends is through group chats. The chances are there will be group chats for your course or accommodation on social media platforms. You can often find these by looking them up or by asking people in your accommodation or course. Why not put a message in asking if anyone is going to any events? Or if they want to meet up? As always with social media, it is important to stay safe in these scenarios and not meet people who you do not know alone, but these group chats can be a great way to meet people at first during freshers.

Sports and Societies are also a great way to get out there. You can find more information about these at the sports and societies fairs or on the student's union website. They are a great opportunity to try something new or join a sport you are usually involved in at home and meet likeminded people. They often have regular meet ups and also have nights out too if you like those. There are often lots of people wanting to get involved and make friends.

Also, make use of the social spaces in your accommodation. Ask someone if they want to play pool , play PS5 or watch a movie? Or just simply smile and say hi to people as you pass, you never know who might stop for a chat whilst in your accommodation social spaces.

If you find it hard starting a conversation with people, a good tip is to have some questions ready in your head to ask people when you meet them. Some typical good ones are What course are you doing? Where are you from? Are you joining any societies? What did you get up to this summer? What did you do at sixth form/ college? How are you finding being away from home? Are you gong to any events this week? All of these are good conversation starters, and you will often find it is a lot easier than you are expecting and the build up can be the worst part.

Making new friends is exciting! Once you get talking to people you will feel much more at ease. We hope this blog has helped you with some tips on how to make friends when starting university. Remember everyone is in the same boat and probably feeling just as nervous as you! It is completely normal, and you will often find you will make lots of friends very quickly as everyone is just as keen to make friends too.

This blog was written by Residential Assistant Leila.