Hi! My name is Bella and I’m a first-year student in the Explore Program at Northeastern University. As we all know, Covid-19 has disrupted many aspects of people’s everyday lives, and meeting new people is no exception. For one, a majority of classes have moved either fully online or in-person with limited seating. Students don’t really get to meet all or the majority of their classmates, which is a main way that I, and probably most other people, would make friends in a typical year. Other restrictions that may make it more difficult to meet people include all activities (orientation, club, etc.) moving to an online format, seating in dining halls being closed, and not allowing other students to come into your dorm room. So how the heck do you make friends?
One of the most daunting things to think about as a newly arrived Freshman is how to meet people and make friends who will go through the ups-and-downs of the first year experience with you. I was definitely intimidated because I had come from Florida, not knowing anyone in Boston or on campus. Here are a couple of tips and various ways that I made friends:
The first thing I would say is that your roommate or suitemate(s) are great to get to know and get acclimated with during your first few days. But what if you don’t have a roommate or suitemates? I actually currently live by myself in a quad because the roommate who was supposed to live with me never came. I was initially scared my first day on campus because I thought she would be my first friend, but I did meet another girl on my floor who also lives alone. Getting to know people on your floor by knocking on doors and introducing yourself is a great way to meet the people who live near you.
Another way I met people was by literally walking up to people or small groups while exploring campus and starting a conversation. I would ask them the basic get to know you questions like “Are you a first year?” or “What’s your major?” or “Where do you live?” and “Where are you from?” I did this for a couple of weeks, and from it met most people that I know now. It’s just a good way I’ve found to introduce yourself even though it may seem intimidating. I had to push myself out of my comfort zone, but most people are super nice and friendly and will include you into their conversations. After that first meeting, I usually would make lunch or dinner plans to see them again. And side note: although most people are really friendly, sometimes there are people that you just might not vibe with, and that’s totally okay. Don’t let that discourage you because you’ll find more great people you want to be friends with.
I also made friends through the Northeastern Class of ‘24 instagram account. Over 450 students, including me, posted with pictures and a personal bio, so I either DMed people who seemed interesting and I had commonalities with, or I would receive DMs from people. From there, again I would usually meet up with them to get dinner.
Although it’s tougher to meet people in your classes through Zoom, the GroupMe app is great to chat and form study groups with classmates. All but one of my six classes are online, so I have either made or joined a GroupMe group where students can all collaborate and help each other out if there are any questions or comments about the class. I have also made plans to study for an upcoming quiz or exam with people from the group and made friends that way.
Lastly, I just met a lot of people through other people. Your current friends will introduce you to their friends and then those friends will introduce you to the people they know, and the cycle continues. You’ll be able to constantly meet people this way and all hang out together.
For all of these methods, you do have to put in some work to meet with people around everyone’s varying schedules and the restrictions of the pandemic. But it’s definitely so fun to grab food, go thrifting, explore Boston, or just hang out at Centennial with new and exciting friends. Right now, I have some amazing friends and different groups that I hang out with. I feel very fortunate to have met everyone I have so far, and I know I will continue to make more friends as times goes on. I hope sharing my experience and advice helps out anyone who might be new on campus or anyone who wants to make more friends!
