You'd think that going to a college with 30,000+ students means that your crowd of friends exist somewhere on campus and they're just waiting for you to find them. Well, you wouldn't be entirely wrong about that but perhaps that's not the way to think about it.
If you find yourself reading this article, you've either found yourself or are presuming you'll find yourself in the rut that I, well into my second semester here as a freshman, am just getting out of.
1. Know that you're not alone.
First and foremost, know that you are not the only one. With this many people here, there are bound to be some who struggle as much as you and I, right?
2. It's not too late to make friends.
Despite your grade or age, it's not too late to make friends. It's never too late. Don't let the fact that you are a junior in college discourage you from trying to make friends. There's never a right or wrong time to make friends so whether you're a freshman or a senior, it doesn't matter.
3. Get out there.
There will be days, or in my case, a semester, where all you do in your free time is sit in your dorm or apartment and spend some quality time with yourself. But don't let that become a habit. Push yourself to go to club meetings or one of those random socials going on at places like Tate. Even if you have no one to go with or you're absolutely certain you'll be awkwardly sitting in a corner somewhere, try it with an open mind. I definitely think I got some weird looks as a bioengineering student sitting in on Young Democrats meetings and submitting pieces to the literary magazine (and writing articles now, I guess!). Though I still have no idea how much of it was real and how much of it was in my head, putting myself out there was definitely worth it (and nerve-wracking).
While it's much easier to just…not do that, remember that the easier choice is not always the right one.
4. Groupme
Here's one people may not tell you about: Groupme. Yes, the app. There's a Groupme for nearly everything whether it be for classes, clubs, free t-shirts, free food… So. Many. Groupme's. Get on Groupme. There's actually a Groupme called "I have no friends @ UGA" where there are people doing game nights, hanging out downtown, forming study groups, getting dinner together, or just chatting. All it took as for me was getting on the chat for my graduating class (C/O 2022) and from there, someone posts a link to another group me, from there, another, and so on. I've actually met some really interesting people from Groupme.
5. Don't overwhelm yourself with expectations.
While we, humans, always have some sort of bias, try to meet people with an open mind. Don't limit yourself to a certain crowd or group. You'll be surprised by how really cool some people are.
6. Please don't give up.
It's very easy to be discouraged. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. This is your time to put yourself out there and figure yourself out. Best of luck!
