I wish that when I was a freshman in college someone would have told me what I am about to tell you, dear reader. The secret to success in friendships is not in how many parties you go to or how many people you stay in contact with from your high school (quality over quantity). The only real guarantee for successful friendships in college is the effort you put in.
In college, friendships become based on shared interests and hobbies, so the best way to make new friends is through joining clubs and organizations on campus.
I made some of my best friends at UCCS through clubs and organizations, specifically through The Scribe. When I first joined the student newspaper, I was a timid, awkward 18-year-old with a penchant for writing. I joined because I wanted to write; I stayed because of the amazing people I met.
There are hundreds of clubs and organizations on campus for nearly every niche and habit. Joining a club will enrich your college experience and give you the opportunity to meet other students with similar interests.
Clubs and organizations can bring students of diverse backgrounds and cultures together and put them in the same time and place because they all play Dungeons & Dragons, for example.
But you just have to be willing to sign up. To attend the first meeting or event. To say “Hello, my name is …” and let the conversation naturally progress. To make a connection worth keeping.
This isn’t high school anymore. This is a fresh start and a time for you to embrace all your quirks and quacks. Maybe before you were a lone ranger with an unrequited love for history, anime or chess. In college, you can find other history, anime or chess buffs and form a little community. Your interests become your involvement.
I hope that ten years from now I am still in contact with the friends I have made through clubs and organizations. I hope I can pick up the phone and check in with them and hear what great things they are up to because I know that at one point, we were at the same place, at the same time and passionate about the same things. A connection like that will last a lifetime.
College is demanding. It is time-consuming and emotionally draining. The need for shared experience at this point in our lives is real. We need to know that we are not alone.
Going off to college often means you’re leaving behind your friends and family. Clubs and organizations allow you to form bonds with new people and create your ideal support system right here on campus.