Whether you’re new to university, feel a bit lonely (we have just the blog for you – link to feeling alone at uni), or simply just bored of your current friends – those of you who’ve met our co-founder Ahmed know what I’m talking about – making friends is one of the most common questions people have when going to university. It can be daunting, exciting yet scary experience for some, but we assure you it’s a lot easier than you think! Almost everyone is in the same boat at university, starting on a blank canvas, some miles away from their highschool fame others glad to have gotten away from school. Atozmed is always stepping up to the plate, and this blog is no different – here are our top tips for making friends at university.

1.       Make an effort to chat to people on your course: The first people you talk to at the welcome meeting may not become your core group of friends, but it’s a good starting point to give you the confidence to carry on forming relationships. Plus, they may invite you to social events where you’ll have another opportunity to make more friends.

2.       Be sociable with your flatmates: Keep your door open so people know you’re home and can come and chat in your room. You can also use the common areas to get to know the people you’re living with. Even if they don’t become your core friendship group, it will make living together easier. Offer them a cup of tea or suggest having a flat night in making dinner together with an easy student recipe – this will also save money.

3.       Join groups on social networks: Facebook is a great place to find people who will be starting the same course or living in the same halls as you. Join all the relevant social media groups – this will enable you to make connections even before arriving, sharing concerns and helping each other solve problems.

4.        Join a society Meet people with similar interests by joining a society. There are plenty to choose from, for example sports, languages, culture, etc, and it’s one of the best ways to make friends. Societies by nature are sociable and there’s unlikely to be awkward silences if you already have a common goal or shared interest.

We hope this can help you take the step into making some great new friendships at university. Remember, even if you don’t have a large group of friends at first, it often takes time to build strong relationships – most friendships build stronger in the second semester and year.