Amaar Zarrieff 
Stranded in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces and personalities is a reality that many freshmen attending out-of-state colleges experience. Transitioning from having a close-knit group of friends in high school to chill with to spending a Friday night alone in your dorm room binge-watching reality TV is a humbling experience. The transition is even harder if you’re a bit of an introvert like me. Even Though my first semester of college is nearly over, I always have to remember that it is never too late to make more friends. When it comes to making new friends, there is a very vast list of DOs and DON’Ts so these social interactions do not end in embarrassment.
DO – Join Clubs and Organizations
At a university with more than 10,000 students combined with a busy class schedule, there is rarely enough space or time to sit down and talk to a group of people. Becoming a part of a club or organization on campus allows you to become close with students who have the same interests as you and are also looking for new people to befriend. After going to a writing club meeting this semester, I was surprised by how many people I was able to meet (people who share my love of writing!).
DON’T – Lie
This may seem obvious, but when coming to a new school, it may seem appealing to “embellish” a little when trying to make new friends. I learned the detrimental effects of lying when making small talk with a potential friend at the beginning of the year. A girl had asked me if I knew how to retwist locs, and I eagerly answered “yes” (knowing that I had no idea how to retwist dreadlocks and just wanted her to think I was a cool person). A week later, I was horrified when the girl DM’d me on Instagram to ask me to retwist not only her locs, but her roommate’s locs, too. Out of embarrassment, I blocked her and now I have to avoid her whenever I see her on campus. In the end, honesty is always the best policy.
DO – Hang Out with Your Roommate
Having a roommate in college is like having a built-in best friend. I’m shocked when I hear that people don’t even bother talking to their roommates. Out of everyone on your college campus, your roommate should be the one that you trust the most. Hanging out with your roommate also makes it a lot easier to speak to other people around campus. My roommate and I act as each other’s wingmen when it comes to making new friends. If my roommate is friends with someone, 9/10 times, I’m also friends with that person. Being mean or distant to the person who sleeps beside you can turn toxic quickly.
DON’T – Stay Inside
GO OUTSIDE AND HAVE FUN. Eccentric personalities come out at night, so go to a party on the weekends and meet some interesting people. If you’re not a party person, you can always go to sporting events, dorm hall movie nights, or other school events. There are events around campus for everyone to have fun, so don’t spend your weekends bored and alone.
If you’re a freshman and still worried about making friends, stay hopeful that your group of people is still out there. They just might not have found you yet.
By Amaar Zarrieff, Freshman, Howard University
Instagram: amaar.fz
True Star Media’s content is made possible thanks to donors like you. To support the voice and perspective of youth, donate at elevate.truestarfoundation.org.
