Story LeeYour first year at Ole Miss will be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. Many people come to campus with just a few friends from high school, and some come with none at all. Leaving old friends behind and making new ones can be a frightening task.
Luckily for you, the University of Mississippi is full of friendly faces and people who share your interests. There are plenty of first-year students in the same boat as you and plenty of upperclassmen looking to meet new people. Here are a few easy ways to connect with them.
1. Join clubs that interest you
One of the easiest ways to make friends is to surround yourself with people who share your interests. Ole Miss is home to almost 400 clubs and registered student organizations, so there is a place for whatever you love, full of people who love it just as much as you do. Even just going to one meeting is a great way to run into people you can easily connect with and talk to.
2. Compliment people
As silly as it sounds, complimenting people on campus is one of the best ways to make friends. Genuinely complimenting someone’s hair or outfit can make their day and open up a conversation. See someone wearing merch from your favorite band? You already have something in common, and complimenting them on it gives you an opportunity to talk and connect to each other.
3. Get a study buddy in class
Think back to your high school friendships. There is a good chance a lot of them came about from “forced proximity” — simply put, you saw each other in class every day, so you had no choice but to interact. College is a little different. You will not know every classmate, and you will not see them every day. But you are still going to interact with some of your classmates: You will get sick and need someone to give you notes from the class you missed, or you will want another opinion on a question. Because of this, it is a great idea to share your number with a classmate in order to exchange notes and study together. This time spent working together can become the basis for a great friendship.
4. Make the most of your dorm
Not every freshman looks forward to dorm living, but living on campus creates unique opportunities for making friends. Go to the floor events your residential assistant organizes to get to know the people you live with. Leave a message on the whiteboard by your door that people are welcome to stop by and introduce themselves. Nothing beats having a best friend who lives two doors down.
