How to Make Friends in College as an Introvert

As an introvert who can focus and concentrate as well as organize and plan like it’s nobody’s business, you are confident about attaining academic success for as long as you will give your studies your 100%.

Having a bustling social life on campus, on the other hand, is something you highly doubt.

But fret not because you are in the right place at the right time — this post is all about how introverted students can make friends in college. Being all alone in your quest to earn an undergraduate degree should be the least of your worries as you will see that there are plenty of ways to meet new people, some of whom can even become your besties for life!

1. Get to Know Your Dorm and Classmates

It’s not uncommon for many colleges and universities to require first-time, first-year students to live on campus. And that’s to get them involved with the campus community and make new friends, too.

Needless to say, it’s in your dorm room where you can find a potential friend: your roommate.

And just like you, your roommate may also be on the lookout for new chums. The two of you need not go far and wide just to meet people — there are plenty of prospective buddies on your floor and the floors above and below you. And because they are around even after school hours, there’s plenty of time for all of you to bond.

Worry not if you and your roommate dislike one another as you can always ask for a room reassignment. But in order to keep the both of you from hating one another even more, see to it that the desire to be reassigned is mutual.

2. Attend Social Events Outside of the Dorm

Although it’s true that it’s a great idea to start meeting new people where you reside on campus, it’s also recommended that you hang out more often on campus in between classes or extracurricular engagements.

While you are getting yourself re-acquainted with the campus all over again after doing a tour prior to or during the college applications season, running into some freshmen students doing the same thing is very much likely — you can explore every nook and cranny of the institution together and get to know one another more in the process.

But it’s not just on the campus where you can meet friends even though you have an introverted personality trait.

Other than the school grounds, of course, it’s also important that you acquaint yourself with the world immediately outside of it — the town or city where the college is located.

In doing so, it’s not just students from the same school you may meet along the way but also those from neighboring schools! And don’t get me started with enumerating the advantages of being social with some of the locals! Having some non-college students on your roster of besties can be advantageous in times such as when you are:

• Looking for a cool hangout
• Searching for a part-time job
• Craving some local cuisines or delicacies
• Exploring the social scene

3. Make Friends With the Friends of Friends

According to the findings from the May 2021 American Perspectives Survey, close to half of all Americans (49%) report having 3 or fewer friends. Suppose that you are a part of the statistics — your 3 college friends have 3 friends each, which means that you have easy access to a total of 9 people whom you can be chums with.

What’s nice about opting for this approach is that it’s likely that you will like your comrade’s pal.

You are friends with your friend because you like his or her personality or share the same hobby or interest as his or hers. As such, chances are that you also have a common denominator with the individual that your amigo has chosen to be friends with.

Especially if you are a freshman student, time is of the essence in terms of establishing a network. It’s no secret that coursework tends to get harder and harder semester after semester. And the best time to find co-undergraduates that you can count on through thick and thin is before things on campus become really challenging.

By going wherever your friends go, you can meet their other friends, thus making the task of introducing yourself to strangers, which many introverted students find nerve-racking, less daunting and more enjoyable.

4. Join (or Start) a Club or an Organization

Any introverted individual will agree that it’s easier to start a friendly relationship with like-minded individuals — it eliminates the need to spend plenty of time and energy on looking for some things shared in common.

Nothing can make the search for students you have compatibility with easier than joining a club or an organization about something that you are interested in or passionate about. For instance, it makes perfect sense that it’s at an MTG group where you will find others who also take pride in their Magic: The Gathering card collection.

Of course, it all starts with having an idea of the various official clubs and organizations around.

And if you come across something that’s exclusive for introverted students, the search is over — all that’s left for you to do is locate its office or committee to sign up and start being surrounded by individuals just like you.

Fret not if none of the available ones seem to meet your particular needs. That’s because you can always start your own club and attract students with similar pursuits. Not only will this make making friends substantially easier for you and other introverts but also make landing your dream job after graduation more trouble-free as employers are hooked on leadership skills.

5. Seek Engagement on the Internet

Contrary to popular belief, introverts still like to be in the company of others. It’s just that they also need time to be alone to have themselves invigorated as socializing can drain their energy just like that.

Online, you can meet a lot of friends. And if the mission is to be sociable with people attending the same college, hang out where you can find them, such as on the Facebook page of your alma mater or on a Facebook support group created by its students.

Liking posts and commenting on them, too, helps get the ball rolling.

The good thing about socializing online is that you have complete control over how much mingling happens.

Logging offline, for instance, helps make sure that none of your online buddies can bother you.

Or switching to an offline status allows you to stay in the loop without anyone currently online knowing about it.

6. Be a Friendly and Approachable Person

Last but not least, you can make friends in college even with an introverted personality trait by being friendly. And it all starts with exhibiting the kind of body language that makes you appear like you won’t bite people’s heads off.

A negative or closed body language is a complete no-no. Simply put, it gives everyone the impression that you are not open to communicating and building a relationship. Demonstrating it can cause other first-time, first-year undergraduates just like you who are looking for new friends to stay out of your way.

Some common examples of the said body language include:

• Crossed arms
• Crossed legs
• Looking down or away

Needless to say, gawking at your smartphone or book or donning a pair of headphones can keep potential friends away.

A positive or open body language, on the other hand, can help make meeting new people easier for any college student, whether introverted or otherwise. Having it allows you to look approachable and friendly.

Here are some top examples of a positive or open body language:

• Uncrossed arms
• Uncrossed legs
• Head tilt
• Chin exposed
• Hands on the hips
• Standing with feet more than shoulder-width apart
• Making eye contact
• Positive facial expressions

Being an introverted individual should not keep you from attaining success in your college career. Similarly, it should not prevent you from having a healthy social life as an undergraduate.

Keep all the simple tips and tricks above in mind as soon as you step foot on campus to start establishing your circle of friends that can double as your support system.

7. Be Yourself and Be Patient

Being an introverted individual should not keep you from attaining success in your college career. Similarly, it should not prevent you from having a healthy social life as an undergraduate.

It takes time to make friends. Don’t expect to become best friends with someone overnight. Just keep putting yourself out there, and you’ll eventually find your people.

Keep all the simple tips and tricks above in mind as soon as you step foot on campus to start establishing your circle of friends that can double as your support system.

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