Making friends during your first year of college can seem like a real challenge, especially if none of your friends from high school attend your school. The key to making friends is to explore your campus and its social opportunities. "If you're out of your room, living life and getting involved with college life, doing what you love to do, you'll make friends," says Harlan Cohen, author of "The Naked Roommate and 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College." If you're genuine and outgoing, you'll make plenty friends, many of which you might keep for a lifetime.
Step 1
Join a club, sports team or student organization. Check with your student center to find out about extracurricular opportunities on your campus. You can participate in a volunteer group, your school's literary journal or even a Frisbee golf team. If you choose an activity you're passionate about, you'll more than likely meet other students who share your interests.
Step 2
Accept invitations to parties, where you'll meet a broad array of students. Resist the urge to drink heavily. Each year in the United States, 1,700 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related injuries, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD. Don't feel pressured to drink just because everyone else is. You might have fun if you get drunk but you probably won't make many friends.
Step 3
Join a fraternity or sorority. Check out your on-campus options during Rush Week. Meet with as many Greek organizations as possible and bid on houses where you feel a connection with members. To find the right fit, be yourself. "If you pretend to be someone you're not, you'll find a house suited for someone you're not," advise Mary Kay Shanley and Julia Johnston, authors of "Survival Secrets of College Students."
Step 4
Attend events and mixers in your residence hall. Get to know the other people in your dorm; you might as well, as you'll be living with them for the next nine months. Many residence halls sponsor movie nights, parties and weekend get-togethers. Introduce yourself to as many students as possible and find out if you share any interests.
Step 5
Organize a study group with a few classmates. You'll not only become a better student but also get to know the people you see in class every day and spend time with them in small-group settings.
Step 6
Spend time with your friends' friends. One of the best ways to make friends is by exploring your friends' social circles and connecting with people with whom you share interests, values and opinions. If a pal asks you to see a movie or grab a cup of coffee with him and a friend, accept and get to know the other person.
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