University Activities To Help You Make Friends

University isn’t just a place for studying and achieving a degree in your chosen course, but also about creating new friendships and relationships with other students. Friendships at university can last a lifetime, as you meet like-minded people who have similar interests to you. Around 85% of people remain friends with their university friends after graduation. So, it’s important that you take part in activities throughout your university journey that give you the chance to foster these types of friendships.

There are many activities that you can take part in that can help you make friends with fellow students at university, no matter which town or city you have chosen to study in. From more sensible activities like study groups to less sensible activities like attending parties, there are plenty of bonding activities that you can join in with.

Whether you’re joining this coming September or are already at university, these activities should enhance your chances of making lifelong friends while you achieve your degree. Continue reading for more information.

University Activities For Making Friends

Join a Society

Every university will have a range of different societies that students can join that vary in topics. Anything can be a society, as all it takes is one person to start it for it to be an official thing so if you have a very niche interest and want to make friends with the same interest, you can even start your own society. 

Some of the most popular university societies include those that revolve around sports, debates and hobbies, and you are sure to find at least one that you’re interested in. When you’re part of a society, you can take part in activities that are related to the society topic or you can simply go on nights out with the people that are in that specific society to help build your friendship.

Study Groups

Study groups are a great activity for making friends while also getting ahead of your studies. Sometimes you’ll have to put aside your studies to help develop relationships with other students at university and vice versa, so having this combination through study groups allows you to study effectively while also bonding with friends.

You can further enhance this by having study groups with other students that are in your course, as you can help each other with your studies, which can boost how close your relationship can become.

Attend Student Hall Parties

Student halls make for the perfect hub for hosting and attending parties, with many of them having common rooms for all students to hang out and socialise. Going to these parties and taking part in all the activities involved can help you to cultivate long lasting friendships with like-minded students. Even if the drinking aspect isn’t for you, you can stay sober while interacting with a whole range of unique people.

There will be a range of different types of parties that will be hosted at student halls, from pre-night out drinks to gaming sessions to movie nights, so you can pick and choose which ones appeal to you. It’s easy to gain bad habits on student nights out, like smoking cigarettes, so always make sure that you consider healthier alternatives like nicopods instead.

Socialise With Your Flatmates

You will be randomly allocated flatmates if you’re in shared accommodation and if you’re lucky, you will be put with a nice group of people that you can socialise with. It’s important to never judge a book by its cover, so you should take the chance to hang out with everyone in your flat to see who you get on with. Most university students will end up being great friends with at least one of their flatmates.

You can do a variety of different things with your flatmates. Go to local coffee shops, attend pub quizzes and have movie nights with your flatmates to help you bond with them and create long-lasting friendships.

Get a Part-time Job

When making friends at university, you don’t just have to find them at the university itself or the student halls you live in. You can also get a part-time job and make friends at your place of work. It can be a great opportunity for earning extra money while also enhancing your bond with other people, especially if they are also students at the same university. It can also be a great opportunity to boost your confidence.

There’s many types of jobs that will be looking to hire students part-time, such as restaurants, clothing stores and bars. You can then take part in social events with your colleagues and foster friendships while outside of the university circle.

Attend Campus Events

University campuses will have a good mix of events that they host for all students to enjoy. For example, Liverpool University will have Feel Good February every year, which involves a large variety of health and fitness, sustainability and writing-based activities where students can socialise with others and make new friends. Some universities will also have sillier activities like scavenger hunts, comedy nights and poker tournaments for students to take part in.

Trying all the different events that are hosted by campuses can help you find other students that you get along with and you can then organise other activities outside of university to do together.