Especially when you are going to college out of state, like me, you will worry about making new friends. In my case, I actually ended up coming to RIT with one of my best friends since elementary school and my boyfriend of two years. Now I know this doesn’t sound very realistic, but I believe fate brought us here together. We even somehow managed to be in the same building, and on the same floor! Now if it wasn’t meant to be, do you think that would have happened? Anyway, my point is that even though I came here with two people I already knew, it doesn’t mean making friends didn’t still worry me.
Thankfully, RIT held both an Honors and a regular orientation process for incoming freshmen before the beginning of the school year. My best friend, boyfriend, and I all participated in the Honors orientation together. The Honors orientation started a few days before the rest of the students were to arrive, so we had time to move in and start making friends with other Honors freshmen. It seemed as though everyone was very desperate to quickly make friends and feel accepted.
One day my boyfriend’s roommates, my best friend, her roommate, and I played card games in their room. The RA stopped by and introduced us to another boy on our floor and we invited him to play. The main thing is that we were very accepting, and we had fun. Another instance was when I was invited to come over to the (male) triple down the hall. I remember I brought my best friend and her roommate along to find other girls on the floor to come with us.I ended up making a few new friends from that experience, and by the time we got to the triple, we more than outnumbered the guys.
For the regular orientation, we were all split up according to our major/college within RIT. Here I tried my best to talk to new people, who were slightly worse off than me because no one knew anyone else, and hadn’t been in the Honors orientation either. Slowly, I started talking to the same people in my group everyday at the orientation meetings. The people I socialized with lived in the building right next to me, but in order to see them I would need someone to swipe their card at the door. So at the end of orientation week they invited me over and we played card games and talked. They were all really nice, though obviously reserved from what I now know about them, because we all wanted to make friends. From that experience, I made a few more friends, and now we are all very comfortable around each other.
As the month went on, you could slowly notice all the freshmen finding their place within the college community. Groups formed, friends introduced friends to new friends, and many ultimately formed long-lasting friendships. Slowly but surely, you’ll get facebook friend requests and phone numbers to see if you can get lunch or hang out together after class.
Now that I think of it, I kind of miss those first weeks at RIT. You come from far away and get to be whoever you want to be and no one knows anything about you. You can change your values, and you’re hopeful that others find you to be a good person. I know we have all heard the saying to “just be yourself,” and you will fit in and find friends. Even though I was given this golden opportunity to be someone else, I didn’t try to be, I was just myself. Although I am very happy with whom I am now, I still wonder what would have happened if I had decided to change my morals and attitude altogether…
I think you never really stop making friends at college. RA’s peer mentors, and orientation mentors assist in this process. Plus, there is no way to get to know thousands of students all in a short period of time. Whether in class, walking, eating, or at parties, you will see both familiar and unfamiliar faces. When you really get to know someone, you can decide whether you want to still be friends with them or move on. Don’t submit to peer pressure just to fit in. There is always someone who will accept you, no matter how different or weird you think you are. Be friendly and kind, slowly open up and try to get to know others, and find someone with similar likes/dislikes, and I guarantee you will be successful in your friend-making endeavors. =]
Check out these funny friendship quotes http://www.the-friendship-cafe.com/Funny-Friendship-Quotes.html
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