Nerdify Reviews 6 Tips for Adjusting to College Social Life as an Incoming Freshman
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Ah, college. The phase of life most hyped-about—from Hollywood depicting non-stop partying to wistful middle-aged people admitting that’s when they peaked. While university can be a fantastic time for developing friendships, finding your academic passions, and discovering yourself, that’s a lot of pressure to put on you for the next four years— especially because your growth as a person certainly doesn’t stop at the age of 21. Nerdify reviews team agrees your college social life will differ significantly from that in high school—especially if you’ve been learning remotely as of late and are starting university in person. Nerdify reviews different advice on how to hit the ground running at your new campus:
1. Students Spend Orientation and Syllabus Week Meeting as Many People as Possible
When you first get to campus, everyone will be in the same shoes as you as Reddit users state—most likely in a new town without friends, and looking to make some as quickly as possible. Ephemeral friend groups are established rapidly, formed merely based on proximity. If you’re shy, your roommate and/or suitemates are an excellent social foundation to branch outward from as you get more comfortable with your surroundings. The single most helpful tip for gaining a vibrant social life is to spend as little time in your dorm as possible.
2. A Great Way to Meet People is to Take Advantage of all Your Amenities and Campus Celebrations
As the semester begins, your campus will be hosting numerous events—think spirit day pep rallies, craft activities, career fairs, and more. While many of them may be cheesy, go nevertheless because you’ll likely find other like-minded people there that you can bond over the cheesiness (and “free” food) with. As for the other amenities like the gym, dining halls, library, etc., go to them each at least a few times because, for one, you’re already paying for them, and two, it’s easy to strike up a conversation with fellow students in these locations. A great place to find new people is at the initial meetings of campus clubs. Even though you can’t join a dozen clubs, you can still be introduced to people you want to hang out with outside of the meetings.
3. Don’t Feel Discouraged if You Don’t Immediately Find “Your People”
While there is an initial rush of buddy-making at the start of school, many of those friendships go as quickly as they came— which is not a negative thing in the slightest, say Nerdify reviews experts. Early on, there is an unspoken agreement that striking up small talk with someone sitting next to you in class, waiting on the machines in the laundry room, or standing behind you in line at the dining hall is an invitation to friendship that’s not seen as awkward or forced from what we can see on Reddit. Even if they don’t become your best chums, by spending time with them at other gatherings, eventually through an interconnected web of acquaintances, you’ll find the people that you mesh with seamlessly.
4. You’re Likely to Have Multiple Friend Groups
One of the most beautiful things about college is that with your class size likely being in the thousands instead of the hundreds like back in high school, you’re going to be able to have multiple groups of friends quite easily. Reddit users, for example, say you’ll have dormmates to make food within the communal kitchen, classmates to study with at the library, people with whom you go out to events, and friends who would rather watch movies with you on a rainy day—a friend for any and every occasion.
5. With a Large Number of People Comes Less Gossip
A pleasant surprise you’ll find is that because there are just so many students, things like campus-wide cliques and rumors just aren’t feasible. Sure, you have the people in sports that Hollywood might call “jocks”, but with a myriad of students, no one friend group consists of the ultimate “popular people.” Someone sitting alone in the dining hall isn’t seen as a “loner”—they’re just a person who has time between classes that’s grabbing a bite to eat. Outside of someone’s classes (of which there are hundreds) or friend groups (of which there are also hundreds), people have no idea who the other people on campus are—so even when there is gossip, it doesn’t travel far. Nerdify reviews team suggests it can be chalked up to maturity or people being more self-assured that they don’t feel the need to put others down, but college students have better things to do than make or care about baseless rumors about others.
6. Don’t Be Afraid To Express Your Authentic Self
Being one among thousands, you can easily be a wallflower or just face in the crowd if that’s what you’re most comfortable with. However, if there’s something special about you that you want everyone to know—be sure to show it. In all honesty, the quirkiest and most eccentric people on campus—the ones who have funky hair, wear Heelys to class, dress up in Halloween costumes in April, and play the bagpipes in the park—are the people treated like celebrities on campus and talked about with reverence years after graduation, you can find a lot of stories that prove that on Reddit. You don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not to fit in with a specific group—there are so many friends to be had that you’ll be able to find the people who make college feel like a second home in no time.
