No matter how outgoing or friendly you are, it’s not always easy to form friendships with total strangers. When you’re in college, you’re suddenly surrounded by hundreds — or thousands! — of people you don’t know. If you went away for school, you might even be in a place you don’t know either, which can make it even harder to find your groove with those around you. But forming quality friendships in college can help you fight loneliness, share new experiences with others and build a support system during tough times. 

As much as we would all like to walk up to someone on campus and say, “Let’s be friends!,” that’s just not realistic. It can also be challenging to make friends at school if you’re struggling to adapt to college or you’re experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

The good news is that we have quite a few tips and tricks that can help you learn how to make friends in college so you can have the best experience possible while in school. Here are six things to test out:

• Spark up a conversation with a classmate — Since you spend hours of your week inside a classroom or lecture hall, you’re already spending a lot of time with potential friends. Try to start a conversation with the person next to you in your class by asking about how they felt about the homework or to even share opinions about the professor. Anytime you’re able to spark a conversation with someone, you’re opening the door for a connection that can last all semester or, hopefully, beyond that.
• Find a study group — Although it can be frustrating to experience difficulty with a class or be overwhelmed by a syllabus, you can work toward successful grades while making friends by finding a study group. Not only do you all have common ground by being in the same class, but it also gives you an opportunity to talk outside of the classroom where you can talk about other interests.
• Join a club/sport — There’s no shortage of clubs in college, regardless of how small your school’s campus or population is, and many universities have sports teams as well. There are dozens of potential extracurricular activities that give you the opportunity to find friends who have similar interests to you, from playing chess to throwing a football. By joining a club or sport, you’re likely to find multiple people you can bond with over your passions. If your school doesn’t have one for your hobby, try to start one up yourself! 
• Attend a school event — If there isn’t an extracurricular that interests you, then maybe individual events will work better. It’s common for colleges to hold events as a way to get people to socialize outside of class. Look on your school’s event calendar or check out bulletin boards to see if there’s an event that’s worth spending some time at in hopes of making new friends. Common school events include fundraisers, art festivals and talent showcases.
• Join someone at lunch — It can be a bit nerve-wracking to walk into one’s school’s cafeteria and find a place to sit, no matter what grade. In your college, there are probably multiple spaces to eat your lunch. When you see a table that’s already occupied by a couple of people and there’s a free chair, ask if it’s OK if you join them. Even though not everyone will say yes, the ones who do are also likely looking for new friends as well.
• Make an effort with your roommate — If you’re away at college or you’ve gotten an off-campus apartment, you probably have at least one roommate. When you share a space with other people, it’s nearly impossible not to form some kind of relationship with them. Try to ask your roommate to hang out on the weekends or take a break to eat between study sessions. A friendship that’s formed with your roommate is likely to make you feel more comfortable and adapt better to your new surroundings.

While these tips are often effective, it’s OK if you need further support with your relationships in college, especially if you’re experiencing mental health symptoms that may be interfering with your ability to connect with others. 

If you need more intensive care for your mental health in college, our Lightfully levels of care can help:

• Residential Treatment Center
• Partial Hospitalization Program
• Intensive Outpatient Program
• Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program 

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.