By USA Guest Blogger Kaitlyn Gloege

About a year ago I went off to college as a freshman 2 hours away from home. I was nervous, to say the least. Making friends was so important to me. However, now I realize I did not have to be so nervous. Making friends is only hard if you make it hard! Use these tips and you’ll have nothing to worry about.

Find a random roommate.

Moving in with someone you don’t know can be scary. I am sure you’ve heard all the horror stories, but after all, it will help you get out of your box. You not only will have your roomie as a friend, but they can introduce you to their friends. The best way to find a random roommate is to talk to them ahead of time. This person doesn’t have to be 100% random. I found my roommate in a Facebook group. It was a group for my college graduating class where people would post about themselves and anyone could comment, add them on snapchat, and get to know them before deciding to be roommates. Find a group like this, or many colleges offer other ways to find a good match.

Don’t skip anything.

The first few days of college there will be tons of events going on. These events are meant for you to meet people and to feel comfortable in your new home. Don’t skip out. You’ll meet tons of new people in your dorm building, on your floor, and all over campus. You’ll learn quickly that in college, you want to meet as many people as you can. Start by attending events!!

Join a club or two. Or three.

One of the easiest ways to make friends is to be involved in a group. Colleges have tons and tons of organizations for students to join. Find one you’re interested in and you will meet people just like you, also looking for friends.

Going alone is normal.

There is no shortage of events in college. There will be times you don’t have anyone to go with. You can go alone. I guarantee a fourth of the people going will be by themselves. Once you get there, find someone else who is alone or go up to a group and introduce yourself. If you’re nervous just approach them and say, “None of my friends wanted to come with me can I sit by you guys?” They will say yes. And if they don’t you don’t need them anyway. Introduce yourself and make small talk, they will be happy to meet you.

Remember that college is a fresh start.

Many people come to college expecting something similar to high school. It is not. Everyone goes in completely even. This means you no longer have to deal with the “popular kids” or the judgyness of your past high school class. You have 100% freedom to be 100% you! There are so many people who won’t know you, so this is your chance. You may have been shy in high school but nobody knows that. Be bold and be who you want to be.

Ask everyone you meet the basic questions.

You will need to get used to asking and answering the following questions:

What’s your name?

Where are you from?

What’s your major?

What made you pick this school?

What are you involved in or want to be involved in?

These questions will help you get to know someone and from there will spark further conversation. Use them to your advantage!

What seems awful now probably won’t be later!

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. For example, I wanted a suite my freshman year and I didn’t get one. I ended up with the crappiest dorm. No air conditioning, no private bathroom, and an extremely small closet. I was not happy about this and thought I was going to hate it. Now looking back, I loved my dorm! It was so cozy and not nearly as bad as I thought. I also met my best friends because of that dorm! The four of us lived right in a row, it couldn’t have worked out better. Look on the bright side of things, it might just turn out okay J.

College can be scary, I know. Use these tips to make some friends. The friends you meet at first might not be the ones you stick with and that is okay! I met my best friends for life a couple weeks in, and I couldn’t be more grateful! My freshman year of college was amazing, yours can be too! Feel free to comment below with more tips or if you have any questions.

GUEST BLOGGER

Kaitlyn Gloege

Blog: https://thewayyousparkle.com/