Moving to college can be both exciting and terrifying. For some, moving into a dorm means living with a best friend that you’ve known forever. For others, it means moving into a new place where you don’t know anyone. Either way, you can benefit from making new friends and expanding your circle. Here are nine great ways to make friends in your new dorm.
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1. Go door-to-door
It might sound scary but the best way to meet new people in your dorm is to go door-to-door on the first day. See if there are any doors open, knock, and introduce yourself. If they seem nice, chat them up! Ask if they want to explore the campus or the nearest food hall with you. Try not to limit yourself just to one floor; most dorms have multiple levels. Check them all out! More floors mean more open doors which means more new friends.
2. Leave your door open
When you’re not walking around trying to meet people, leave your own door open. People are more likely to stop by and say hi to people who they think are open to having a conversation. It’s a good way to meet people looking for someone to sit with at the dining hall.
3. Go to campus events
They’re guaranteed to be corny, but they are meant to help you meet and bond with the other new students. Your resident advisor (RA) or Hall Council will usually plan events for new students to hang out with one another throughout the school year, but especially around move-in.
4. Hang out in the lounge
Your dorm’s lounge is a great place to hang out to make friends and study. Hanging out in the common rooms means you’ll be meeting other students all the time. If you’re not too busy studying, you can bring snacks and board or card games and make instant friends looking for something fun to do.
5. Talk to your classmates
If you see someone in one of your classes and you know that they live in the same building, go talk to them. Odds are you have more than just that one similarity and you’ve made a new friend to walk to class with.
6. Join clubs
Doing something you love with other people is almost a guaranteed way to make friends. But be careful not to overload yourself with so many extracurriculars that you feel overwhelmed. Stick to one to three clubs so you don’t burnout.
7. Start a group chat for the floor
If your RA doesn’t start a group chat, suggest that you make one. It’s great for making friends, asking for help, and planning group events.
8. Say yes!
It’s ok to say no to something if you’re busy or you need time for yourself and your health. If you’re not busy, then it’s super important that you learn to say yes to people. If you always decline in the group chat or say you can’t go, people will stop asking you to go out.
9. Remember that everyone is in the same boat
Remember that everyone is just as new as you are and probably just as scared. If you’re not sure what to talk about, just bring up the basics— hometown, major, social media, and favorite foods, shows, movies, music, and more. It’s repetitive but it works wonders when meeting new people. Be your own kind, awesome self and you’ll make friends in no time.
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