How to make friends.

Now if you clicked on this link expecting to find something along the lines of treat others the way you want to be treated, you’re not going to find that here. This isn’t a lesson on treating people right or being fun to be around, but instead, it is for the purpose of finding friends when you’re in a new place.

For those of you who don’t know, I moved to North Carolina in August 2015 not knowing a soul. Even my roommates were strangers to me until I walked through the door that August day. Through this process, I feel like I have slowly been able to build skills in the area of friend creation.

1.) Say Yes

I moved to the area for grad school, on the day of orientation the girl sitting next to me mentioned she would be attending a boat party, the next day and invited me to join. This same girl is now my best friend here, if I hadn’t joined her for one of the best, and weirdest days ever this friendship may have never existed.

2.)Work

Not every job has to be about money, maybe you need a forced socialization to meet other people. If you have a job, hang out with the people you work with. Not every environment creates the perfect opportunity to make relationships with the people you work with, but if it is possible, be kind, stay after your shift,  and take an interest in the people you work with.

3.) Get Involved

The best line from undergrad, does work in the real world, volunteer. I could list 1,000 reasons why volunteering should be an important part of your life, but if nothing else you get to meet new people. Be sure to pick something that MATTERS to you. Then you automatically will be able to relate to the others around you and have something to talk about.

4.) Pick a Hobby

Remember your favorite sport as a kid? There is a league in your area for adults like you to play. However, that sport has gotten even more fun, because now you can also drink beer while you play. These leagues are not only fun but create all kinds of opportunities to connect with others. Additionally, this doesn’t have to be a sport; I’m sure they have like knitting clubs or something like that.

5.) Other

If all else fails, get creative. This December a handful of us went on a beer trolley, but do to some unforeseen circumstances and some flaky people it was only about half full. See every situation as an opportunity to make new friends. We took the seven remaining spots, we had already paid for, and invited seven strangers to join our adventure (See below).

 

Remember, with every new friend you make, you have an opportunity to make friends from them. Take a risk, move somewhere new, and leave your house. Every single person can make new friends if they look in the right place.

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