Making new friends

CursedSkeptic

Hi I am starting in UCD this year and I am looking for some advice as to how I should go about meeting some new friends in UCD. I have a load of friends from school in my course and in the college in general but I want to meet some new friends to widen my social circle. In your experience, what is the best way of going about this???

Much appreciated

orestes

I haven't been to UCD but I know plenty of people who have and I assume it's pretty much the same as the college I went to (although bigger, so more people to make friends with ).

You will make new friends just in your course alone, since you are studying the same subjects you're bound to have common interests from the get go. Also, UCD has loads of societies so join the ones you have an interest in and you will meet people there.

Don't worry, you will meet loads of new people

princess-sprkle

sit in beside new people in lectures/tutorials and introduce yourself to them. i met two of my best friends from ucd that way.

join a few societies/clubs. in particular the smaller ones, they always have an event or something on so its a good way of getting to know people.

also, random parties on campus, meeting people in the student bar

try and talk to a lot of new people, especially near the start of term. its so easy to just rely on your friends from home/school but put yourself out there a bit and you'll make loads of friends!

I knew nobody in my course when I started. Now I'm class rep, and get on great with at least 50/60% of the course.

Thankfully my course is only small ~40 students per year, so it was easier.

But in all courses, the main thing is simply make the effort! Everyone else will be in the same shoes! Say hi to randomers, you never know, they could turn out to be great friends!

Random guy turned to me and introduced himself on the day where you receive the president's welcome. I ended up bumping into him 3/4 times a week in UCD, and managed to make a lot of friends through him.

Make the effort! A little goes a long way.

FionnMatthew

If you make it your business to be polite to people anyhow, and don't deliberately avoid people, you won't be able to avoid making friends. They'll be coming out your ears.

ozt9vdujny3srf

Join a club!

jimi_t

Definitely +1 for the socities which don't just focus on club nights - a lot of them are having AGMs/Wine Receptions during Fresher's Week so that would be a great place to start. If you're living on Campus thoguh nothing beats sniffing out sessions

cHaTbOx

Just go for it.Be yourself and you will attract friends who like you for you.
Just got to UCD accomodation yesterday.Met a few girls but had a quiet night (or so i thought I would)Last night a guy randomey came into my accomodation(I was all alone till 30 minutes ago)But this guy was sound ,a little drunk but he was sound.Got him to bus stop but they had stopped running and then started walking him.Eventually got taxi and met up with a load of people he had just met :pac:.Now theres a couple of meet ups already:D

Zounds

I whole-heartedly recommend joining some of the smaller societies and showing your face wherever they hang out and/or at their events. My favourite is GameSoc

I imagine it's also pretty hard to avoid getting to know people if you're training with a club on a regular basis.

gubbie

1) Becoming a class rep for anything is a good start. Having to give even the smallest of speechs will have everyone know you and they'll be more likely to approach you

2) Make the effort at the start to talk to strangers. I know its tempting to sit beside the people who you know, but even having one stranger will benefit you hugely. At the start its easiest-more people don't know anyone.

3) Join a club or society that you have an interest in (just cos you'll be more likely to go). Some clubs and societies aren't as active as others or only have club nights so ask some people as to whats good.
My recommendations for the bigger soc's are:
L&H - a good debating society that get together really regularly and have great guests
DramSoc - forever winning prizes for their work. They put on shows weekly and thus get together all the time. You don't have to act, you can build sets, do lighting, whatever really

Its also good to join the soc that your faculty is, ie arts soc, eng soc, med soc. They'll have many society nights out

ChocolateSauce

1. Don't become a class rep. That is a serious position, not a popularity contest. Besides, you'd only get to hang out with the hacks that way. Unless that's your thing, in which case, go nuts.

2. Don't join many societies. Go to events. Joining every soc is pointless. There'll probably be only one or two you really get into.

3. Most 1st years wonder the same thing. The secret is be more out-going than everyone else. In my first week I made a point of approaching total strangers, and now I have many friends because of it. Other people are looking for friends but are too nervous, so as soon as they see an easy chance (someone who isn't too nervous) they'll jump at the chance to get to know you.

Het-Field

I would disagree with Gubbie. Both the L&H and Dramsoc often have a very cliquey air about them. In spite of that fact I have found many of their respective members to be very open and friendly. However, if you have a small niche I would suggest you to run with that. A political party can be a great thing. KBC seem to be very cliquey (as in they used keep committee meeting secret, i dont know what the deal is now) but the rest of the parties are always crying out for active members.

I used find Belfield FM to be very open and friendly, and the likes of Grimes turned it into a very professional station. Just turn up !

If you dont have a niche interest then I would follow Gubbie's advice. Join a large society and cross your fingers

Stepherunie

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

1. Don't become a class rep. That is a serious position, not a popularity contest. Besides, you'd only get to hang out with the hacks that way. Unless that's your thing, in which case, go nuts.

Eh have you been a class rep?

Some of my best mates are people I know from being a class rep and we don't hang out in a 'hacky' way.

Yes it involves some work, but it's a great way to get to know people who aren't in your course.

OP societies in your own area a good to get involved in.

IN saying that I got involved in Archaeology Society and had great fun in that.

Take up a random sport too if you are into sport - they're often immensely social and if you're not big into being competitive a lot of have a social side of it!

gubbie

ChocolateSauce wrote: »

1. Don't become a class rep.

Student Union is not the only way to become a class rep. You've very obviously only made reference to that, but becoming class rep in say eng soc is a great way to become involved in the society and they're a lot of perks to go along with it.

People look at clubs and if a club has people who are friends... they're cliquey. If you want to climb the imaginary ladder of we're-gonna-get-somewhere-by-using-student-politics then by all means join a political party

Het-Field

gubbie wrote: »

Student Union is not the only way to become a class rep. You've very obviously only made reference to that, but becoming class rep in say eng soc is a great way to become involved in the society and they're a lot of perks to go along with it.

People look at clubs and if a club has people who are friends... they're cliquey. If you want to climb the imaginary ladder of we're-gonna-get-somewhere-by-using-student-politics then by all means join a political party

You know thats not what I mean Gubbie.

I have made many friends by being active politically. It also gives me a sense of satisfaction that I am doing something small for the Irish political system, while those on Union Council sit around and talk complete ****.

Friends are fine, but those created in the Union usually are created at a junket in Wexford

ChocolateSauce

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend hacks. I admire them for their perseverance and dedication. But having been class rep for two years...I can't stand the thought of listening to someone go on and on and on, repeating him/herself and failing to make a concise point. It just makes me want to pull my hair out!

I also find it, personally, difficult to make friends with them. We just have conflicting personalities and habits.

My point is that I recommend finding friends who aren't involved in the union. Having been a rep for two years, I've no friends (and a number of people with whom I now share a mutual dislike) to show for it. All my friends I met in my class.

Stabshauptmann

Stepherunie wrote: »

Eh have you been a class rep?

Some of my best mates are people I know from being a class rep and we don't hang out in a 'hacky' way.

Its all a matter of perspective. Id disagree with your sig tbh.



The two best ways of meeting people for me were getting really involved in a society/club/student union* and living on campus.


As a rule Id tell you to have an open mind and try everything, start random conversations with people - easier said than done the first few times but you get better at it

*Pick a society/club you're interested in. The way to make friends is be a regular at the events, and if you get involved in running it then its really social. IMO the union is really really good for socialising, but only if you are interested in hack stuff.

Sabs

I was in DIT and trust me, it's really easy to get to know people and make friends in college (although yeah, our classes were way smaller than in UCD) - it's generally the way in life that most people are looking to find friends and thus will be equally as friendly as you - the thing is to not be nervous or shy 'cause people are just people! And besides, the ones who aren't friendly are the ones you probably wouldn't want to be mates with anyway, so who cares?

I'm starting a new degree in UCD this Monday too, not really knowing anyone - kinda cool to start over and meet new people. Don't mean to sound corny, but just be comfortable in your own skin (and that gets easier with time too).