How to Make Friends in College

College can be a very harrowing experience. After leaving well-known friends behind in high school, you're prepared to start a brand new life in a brand new place with brand new people. Needless to say, everyone needs friends. So what can one do to make friends at college?

Of course, it's awkward to simply walk up to a random person and engage them in conversation. Instead, look for opportunities to speak to people in close vicinity of you. Like it or not, you're going to be stuck in a room with dozens of people you don't know several times a day. Why sit there in captive silence when you can make some friends? When classes start, it's likely that very few people in there know one another, so there's plenty of opportunities to forge bonds with people early on. If there's an opportunity to talk to someone beside you, take it. Eventually, people are going to start hitting it off, and you don't want to be left in the lurch when everyone else has someone to talk to. Personally, I find the simple method to be the most effective. A simple, "So, what's your name?" is all it takes to initiate a conversation. Ask them where they're from. What program are they going into? Surely you can find some common ground with them. If anything, you can converse about what you think of the class you're in. I've cultivated associations with several people based solely on our likes and dislikes for the classes we were in. It works.

When a lecture is being given, if the teacher asks for students to respond to his or her questions, let your voice be heard. Try your hardest to make yourself known (in a positive way, of course) so that people will become familiar with your face, your voice. Not only are people naturally more drawn to those who seem friendly and talkative, but they'll likely recognize you when they see you elsewhere on the campus.