by Maggie Larkin

Created on: June 25, 2008

Socializing on an American College campus requires active participation in groups and clubs, making friends, and being educated about how and where to find information about activities.
On move-in day, keep your eye out on who else is moving in. After all of your stuff is in your room and you begin unpacking and organizing, leave your room open and play some music (but not too loudly). It's guaranteed that people will walk by and introduce themselves. Get to know these people- you'll be sharing a hall with them all year! As soon as you move in to your housing, begin your search for the place where students seem to hang out the most. It will help if you have gone to orientation already, or have met someone new to go with. The Student Center or Student Union is a good first place to check out, followed by areas where food is served. By scoping out these high-traffic places, you will get a good feel for what kinds of people go to school with you. From there, find a group of people with whom you think you would identify, and figure out where they tend to congregate. Start hanging out there, and you will make friends in no time.

Once classes begin, you will meet people and find out about groups and clubs pertaining to certain subjects. Get involved in Student Congress, Film Club, whatever interests you. You will meet people with similar interests and always have something to do. Check the bulletin boards in the student Union and in practically every class building for announcements of activities. If you want to party, make lifelong friends, and do lots of community service then a Fraternity or Sorority would be a great fit for you. Attend the Rush meetings in the first couple of weeks of class (they also may occur before classes begin).
One of the best ways to find your social niche is by choosing your major. When you figure out exactly what you love and want to do for the rest of your life, you will meet people with similar aspirations who appreciate the same things as you. After making friends in your area, you really will wonder where they have been all your life. These are the friends that will carry on with you throughout your life.
The most important thing about socializing in college is to make one or two extremely close friends before worrying about creating a whole "posse" of friends. I can't say how many changes you will go through in your first couple of years of college, and it is imperative that you have someone who loves you so you don't have to go through it alone. College is very different from any other life you have experienced to date. You are independent, classes are spread throughout the day, and everything costs money. For example, my parents broke up and a close friend passed away, both in my first year of college. Without the constant support of my three best friends, I don't know what I would have done.
After you have made friends, maintain them by keeping contact through Facebook, and maintain your grades so that you can continue to see them. Always remember that college isn't all about making friends and having fun: there's education too!

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