We’re doing everything a little differently this semester. Classes are virtual, orientation events are happening online, and we’re getting to know our new classmates a little differently, too. For those of you just starting out a new post-secondary institution, you may be wondering how exactly to go about making friends this year. We spoke to some of our Options alumni about this, and they offered the following advice.
- Join whatever social networking site that group chats are being hosted on. For example, my school has a large Facebook group, with smaller divisions for programs, graduating classes, etc. This is where I found group chats to specific classes I was taking. Even though I haven’t met many of these people in person, I feel like I know them already. We help each other with work, try and decipher professor instructions and timetables together, and are always there to chat whenever someone needs it.
- It takes a little extra courage and effort to make friends online, but you could start by asking for people’s Instagram/Facebook usernames in breakout rooms on Zoom, so you can talk to them in the future. You might also try reaching out to people on Instagram to get to know them and following up by asking them if they wanted to hang out in person. Finally, sign up for club Zoom information sessions to network and meet other students.
Even though things are a little different this year, making friends in your online classes can be as easy as knowing how to connect with those around you. Want to learn even more about connecting with your campus community? Check out our blog post about it here.
