20 students on finding their people and making friends at university

Often, when people look back on university life, they'll tell you about the characters they met and the friends they made.

When you're just starting out, however, these stories can feel like a lot of pressure. How do you find your people at university?

To help you get an idea of how people make lasting connections at uni, we reached out to our network of members to ask about their experience.

Of everyone we heard from, 78% of people said they found a sense of community at university.

In this article, we share their stories. We'll cover:

• How students found their people at uni
• Insights from students who didn't find community at university

Lots of the students we spoke to said the primary way they found friends and community at university was through societies.

Here are just a few snippets about how societies helped our members meet people at uni:

• "I found community by actively being a part of a society."
• "I made friends through sports clubs and society socials."
• "I joined societies and that's how I found a good group of friends."
• "I made friends by joining societies and being outspoken."

However, there are also plenty of other ways to meet like-minded students outside of societies. These are some of the other answers we heard.

"I found my people by hanging out with students in class and then having a few drinks afterwards and playing games like pool."

"I ended up finding my community by attending church while at university."

"I built a network through schemes like the Black leadership program at my university and other networking events."

"My approach was just talking to loads of people. It got really tiring, but it was worth it. In the first few weeks of uni, I was just talking to anyone who was next to me or around me."

"I mostly found community by socialising with people in my degree course."

"Partying! I made lots of friends through participating in the university nightlife and going to clubs and bars."

"I found friends who shared the same hobbies as me, which meant they also shared a similar mindset."

"I signed up for a lot of organisations and events, so I was always getting emails about events. I went to them and met other people who were also interested."

"I joined a sports club and found this a really great way to meet people and develop a sense of community."

"My university has a lot of students from a wide range of backgrounds. That made it a lot easier for me to fit in and feel a sense of belonging."

"I made all my friends either by joining different societies or through the collegiate system at my university."

While most people we spoke to did end up settling in and finding their people at university, there were some exceptions.

We asked them what they thought hindered their feeling of community, and here's what they said (plus, some tips on what you can do if you end up in a similar situation).

"I didn't really feel a sense of community because classes were really big and there wasn't much interaction between students and lecturers."

Our advice: If you're studying on a course with lots of people and big teaching groups, start by talking to just one or two people while you wait outside a lecture hall, or when you're leaving the class. If your academic group doesn't seem susceptible to chat, try societies, clubs and hobbies instead to get your social interaction!

"I didn't join any societies or groups, and I think that's why my experience of university lacked a community feel."

Our advice: You don't need to get involved with societies or on-campus clubs if you don't want to – but you might be surprised at just how many options are available. From chess to knitting to badminton to cheese appreciation, there's usually a society out there for everyone!

"I commuted to university, with an hour and a half's journey each way. That means I've not had the chance to build deeper connections with those on my course or take part in enough societies and events to make strong connections elsewhere, because I have to spend so much time travelling."

Our advice: Sometimes you can't help your living situation. However, if having a close community at university is a high priority for you, consider living close to the campus or opting for a uni where most people live locally. If that's not an option, seek out fellow commuters and see if you can start a group for lunch-time meet-ups or even shared journeys.

"I didn’t find a sense of community this year mainly because of the limited opportunities for face-to-face interaction.

The restrictions on in-person events and activities in my situation made it hard to participate in university life. This combination meant I felt pretty isolated and found it hard to connect with other students."

Our advice: See if you can find out how much of your course will be online vs in person before you start. If you have more online teaching than you'd like, consider asking classmates to meet up and study together in libraries, learning grids and university buildings so that you get out of home a little more.

"I'm an introvert and I find it hard to connect with people sometimes – it's something I need to work on."

Our advice: Socialising as an introvert can be tough. We'd recommend taking it in small steps, so you move out of your comfort zone gradually. Check out our article on how to make friends, from striking up a conversation to making the first friendship 'move' as painlessly as possible.

However, you choose to make connections, building a community and finding like-minded friends takes time, even at university.

Remember, there's no rush and no pressure to find your crowd straight away. Be yourself, give it time and the rest will come.