For many college students, academics are the top priority, forgetting about the significance of maintaining a social life. Building friendships helps you thrive as a college student by increasing a sense of belonging and providing an outlet for academic pressures or burnout.
“Coming from such a small school, this is a very intimidating environment, but having my friends’ familiar faces wherever I go has made it so much easier,” business freshman Miranda Rinaldi said. “It feels like a small community. So, I really feel like it’s, as I say, ‘my Texas.’ It feels like my school.”
Socializing is difficult, and it can be challenging to explore connections or approach a stranger. However, putting yourself out there invites unique social situations and meaningful relationships.
Upon arriving at UT, I knew that building friendships would be difficult and I would have to put in the effort to find them. Ultimately, I decided to attend one of the welcome week events. Although my expectations were low, I knew I had a better chance of meeting friends in a social setting, which turned out to be true.
At the event, I saw one of my peers from French class who was also from El Paso, Texas. We struck up a conversation about our shared class and hometown. From there, the conversation continued, and she introduced me to her friends — today, that’s my friend group.
While this process is different for everyone, the first step is often the same — all it takes is the initiative to approach someone.
“I’ve made friends the most random ways here,” Rinaldi said. “Just walking down Speedway, if I see the same face every day, I’m like, ‘Hey, I see you very often. What’s your name?’ I just introduce myself. Or even at dining halls, if we see someone sitting alone, we go with them, or we invite them to sit with us.”
Natalie Czimskey, assistant professor of instruction at the Moody College of Communication, discusses how authenticity is crucial when it comes to making friends. While taking the initiative is a hard first step, maintaining a “realness” can solidify the friendship.
“To really connect with people that you want to, or even to try and find if you’re connecting to the right people, you have to be yourself,” Czimskey said. “Because if you’re pretending to be someone else and you connect, are you really connecting? … You don’t have to go to your most extreme authentic self immediately, but you could still be authentic incrementally.”
Katie Bradford, lecturer at the Moody College of Communication, discussed the importance of body language.
“A lot of communication is nonverbal, so one thing we can work to do is increase our eye contact,” said Bradford. “Also, smiling is a way to attract people. When you have a pleasant look on your face or smile, I think that shows that you’re interested in them.”
A smile is worth a thousand words, so be authentic, put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to approach a stranger.
“(Having a) relationship with other people is a real gift that we have as humans, and so if we care to (have) relationships, we’ll have really satisfying experiences in life,” Bradford said.
It takes practice and effort to connect with those around you, but learning to be comfortable with stepping outside of your bubble can open you up to new relationships.
Maximo Mendoza is a philosophy junior from El Paso, Texas.
