Mufsin Mahbub

It’s hard to make new friends when other students commute from home and don’t  live on campus. Don’t worry, it’s not impossible. With a little effort and my fool-proof tips, you’ll be as social as a disease in no time!

1)      Get to know your classmates. The best way is to form a study group and have a meet up place (like the school library, a classroom not being used by another class, a student lounge on campus or some other place) to help each other learn the course material and do well on exams…You’ll increase your chances at a better grade while decreasing your chances of sitting home on a Friday night!

2)      Join school clubs and organizations on campus that interest you. Not everyone is eager to leave campus after classes are over. Clubs and organizations allow you to meet the students who do live on campus.

3)      Get involved in volunteering activities, either if it’s on campus or in the community. Volunteer at a youth center, an animal shelter, a soup kitchen, a hospital…volunteer work looks good on a job application after you finish your education, especially if its related to your college major and provides you with job experience throughout your college years. Just work a few hours a week or a month, whatever your school schedule allows.

4)      Going to local hang out spots near your commuter college is a good way to make friends as well. Sandwich shops, coffee houses, and local bookstores might put you in the line of vision of potential new friends.

College is a social experiment. Put yourself out there. When you walk into a room, introduce yourself to the people around you. Maybe you’ll find somebody who you get along with, share interests with, and want to hang out with outside of class. Don’t sit around waiting for other people to talk to you. A lot of times, people just sit around waiting for someone else to start the conversation, if your goal is to make friends, be the one to say hello first!