The fall winds are picking up, and the leaves are turning varying shades of burnt orange — but the August sun still beats down harsh as ever as Longhorns are called back to the 40 Acres. It’s time for another adventure, another chance to meet people and to experience new beginnings on a campus, with over 50,000 faces. Though that’s a staggering number, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming: Here are a few of the best places on campus to find a herd to call your own.

The Ones Next Door

Whether you are living in a dorm or settling into an apartment, remember that your neighbors already have at least their address in common with you. Not only does proximity make it easier to forge close bonds during your busy college lives, but it also gives you a someone to walk back with if you are coming home late from campus and someone to call for help in case of an emergency. Most dorms host at least monthly gatherings for their residents to get to know one another, so ask your RA and remember to read the posters on walls and doors. Apartments also sometimes host events or activities, especially at the beginning of the year, so make sure to keep an eye out. 

The SAC

Home to study areas, ballrooms, classrooms, restaurants and a variety of organizations, the Student Activity Center is always buzzing with people and potential opportunities to meet other students. With so many options, from the Multicultural Engagement Center to the Gender and Sexuality Center and the Student Government offices, students are bound to meet people and make connections. 

Study Spaces

For those with too much homework to go out in the afternoon, study areas around campus can also be used to meet people with common interests. The Perry-Castañeda Library has a variety of floors that provide excellent research and socializing resources like study, practice and meeting rooms, as well as a mixture of talking and quiet floors where you can sit with friends or ask new people for help. Labs and additional class study sessions are also locations where you can meet friends through working together.

Career-Related Organizations and Events

If you would like to meet students who are majoring in the same or similar fields as you, or want to get to know people as you look into a different field, major and career-related organizations and events might be something to keep an eye on. Whether you are a business, engineering, communications, pre-med, or pre-law, there are countless opportunities you can attend, so make sure to ask your counselors and professors. For example, the LeaderShape opportunity for engineering students serves as a mix of professional development, team building and guidance towards developing a vision for the future. 

West Mall

With over 1,000 organizations, you are bound to find something that is of interest to you. But if it’s too much work to look through each organization on HornsLink, try taking a daily stroll down West Mall. Here you will find dozens of different organizations each day eager to give you flyers and free items and sign you up as a member. Simply look at the posters and take your pick. 

Whether you find lifelong friends or semester study buddies, each of these places will help you become a part of the Longhorn community as you prepare to change the world. Now, go and take the year by the horns.