The Ultimate Guide to Being Social in College

I still remember the summer before freshman year. I spent most of it up Pinterest’s ass, inhaling every piece of information I could find about making friends, decorating my dorm and overall being a fantastic collegiate. One of the things I was most focused on, however, was being social in college. I wanted to go from a somewhat friendly, sociable person to a goddamn social butterfly with big, obnoxious wings. I hate butterflies and they scare me, but they composed my biggest college goal.

While I’m far from being a top tier socialite, I consider myself social and friendly on campus. Here are some tips and advice for being social in college. While I don’t always follow them, I always say on the blog that I give way better advice than I take. So, friends, take my advice. Take it with plenty of salt, maybe even that pink Himalayan boujee salt that everyone on Insta loves. Here we go.

1. Extend invitations

This is so easy. Even if the person you invite declines the invitation or is unable to go, they still have a wonderful feeling that you thought of them and thought to include them in a plan. It can be scary to text someone out of the blue and ask them to hang out or join you and other friends, but it makes such a difference.

2. Join clubs (but actually freaking participate in them)

This is the go-to tip for being extroverted in college, but the truth about most clubs on campus are that they’re dead ends in terms of making friends. In order to be outgoing, you have to genuinely participate and have an interest in a club. If you’re going to attend a meeting once a month and barely speak to anyone other than your roommate, it’s not helping you in our mission of being social in college.

I have an entire guide to joining clubs in college with more on this, but my biggest tip is to extend your connections outside of the club. Walk to meetings together or even invite some people on a coffee run for after the meeting. Easy.

3. Make “OMG, We should hang out!” into actual plans

We all know this phrase and say this phrase. This time, make it a concrete plan instead. Change your “Let’s hang out sometime” into, “Are you free to grab pizza this Friday?” and “Me and some friends are going to the comedian tomorrow night, wanna come with?”

This shows that you genuinely want to see this person and you’re taking the actions to doing so. You don’t need a grand plan or gesture, but setting an actual time or date leads to plenty of socializing.

4. Turn mundane activities and tasks into group efforts

This doesn’t apply to everything. Any loyal reader of mine knows how much I think “group studying” is a load of B.S. and leads to half-assed studying efforts. While you should avoid becoming super clingy to the point where you can’t do any task on your own, you should make efforts to make some tasks a bit more fun.

Ask your roommate if she wants to do laundry with you, you can get a task done while bonding a bit. Have an assignment involving a trip or a quick stop at the craft store? Invite a friend to tag along. Headed grocery shopping? Ask your housemates if they need to pick anything up, too.

5. Go on plenty of adventures

You don’t need to plan some paradise vacation by any means. Adventures can be spontaneous or well-planned. This can be as simple as making plans to hit up a local farmer’s market or the on-campus comedian. Recently, my best friend and I decided to attend a dessert festival on a whim! Another time my housemate and I decided to adventure to a flea market and picturesque building a few miles away. Small trips, festivals and other adventurous activities are perfect for bonding and making friends.

6. Ask for help

This doesn’t always come to mind when one thinks of being a social butterfly, but think of how you usually feel when someone asks you for help. You feel valued and important. Why not ask others? If your friend is the master at making guacamole, why not text her or invite her over next time you’re attempting it for the first time? Perhaps your friend aced a class you’re struggling with; she might be able to give you some tips for your next exam.

Part of being social in college is making others feel important and special. Plus, when you ask for help you receive benefits as well.

7. Mix different circles

Mixing your different groups/types of friends can be intimidating and oftentimes unsuccessful, but it can pay off. Next time you have a get-together, try extending the invite to someone not usually present in this group. You never know which new connections can form.

Do be careful when doing this; not all groups mix and some awkward silences may occur. Try mixing circles when there’s something that everyone can use as a common ground. For example, a Super Bowl party or watching a new movie.

What are your tips for being social in college?