Making Friends at School
If you’re starting at a new school, or just starting fresh in your social life this year, one of the challenges you might face is making new friends. Maybe you’re worried about trying to find someone with similar interests to you, or getting into an established group after you’ve gone through a friendship breakup.
If you’re feeling nervous about making new friends at school and don’t know where to start, you’re not alone!
Here’s some tips on where you could begin:
- Find someone who you share an interest or experience with, or who just seems nice. Even if you don’t hit it off with them, they might introduce you to someone who you do 👥
- Try to be the kind of person someone might like to hang out with. If you don’t know what that looks like yet, try looking friendly and like you’re open to conversation 😊
- Have a ready-set list of questions you can ask to break the ice. You can keep them on your phone so that they’re handy 📱
- Don’t sleep on joining clubs or sports teams! At the very least, you’ll get to see some fun, like-minded people once a week 🏃
- Check out this article on how to make friends at school.
How did you make your friends at school?
Comments
Hi @Stormy-RO,
I think this is an amazing post. I especially like the idea of having a list of questions handy! It’s such a practical way to ease into conversations and take some of the pressure off.
At times I definitely find myself feeling intimidated when it comes to being in a new environment and trying to make friends, so will be using some of these tips.
All in all, building friendships is a process, and it’s okay to give yourself the time and space to find those meaningful connections.
Like @Calming_Waves I'm also keen to hear how others make new friends 😊
Great post @Stormy-RO!
Making friends at school can be really intimidating. As someone who’s very shy, making new friends has been a constant struggle for me whenever a new semester or school year starts. However, my years in university have taught me a few things:
1. It’s likely that people in your class (especially at uni) are also looking for people to sit and hang out with during the class. If you’re already sitting at a table and you notice someone looking for a place to sit, make eye contact with them and offer them a smile to let them know they’re welcome to sit with you.
2. On the other hand, if you’re finding a place to sit, don’t be afraid to ask someone if you can sit with them. I know it can be nerve-wracking to do that but taking the initiative shows that you would like to know or be friends with them.
3. Like Stormy said, having a list of questions you can ask is really handy. I’m not good with small talk so having a mental list of topics I can talk about with new people I meet helped me a lot.
4. Joining a sports club is a great way to make friends! I’ve recently joined my uni’s volleyball club and it made me really happy being surrounded by people who shared the same interests as mine.
I’m excited to hear what others did to make friends at school!
