For many students, one of the biggest concerns about starting college is making friends. You may arrive knowing nobody, or find that people you know from school have chosen different colleges.
Orientation Week provides plenty of opportunities to meet new people, but making friends does not have to happen instantly.
Your classmates are the most obvious place to begin. Introduce yourself to the person sitting beside you or start a conversation while waiting for a lecture.
Simple questions about the course, timetable or where someone is from can be enough to start a conversation.
Try to attend some of the social events organised during Orientation Week. These may include campus tours, society events, sports activities or informal gatherings.
You do not need to attend everything. Choose activities that interest you and where you are likely to meet people with similar interests.
A shared interest can make conversations easier. Whether you enjoy sport, music, gaming, debating, photography or something completely different, joining a club or society gives you a natural reason to spend time with the same people regularly.
Friendships often develop gradually through repeated contact.
College can introduce you to people from different backgrounds, ages, cultures and parts of Ireland and the world.
Do not feel that your college friends all have to be similar to you. Meeting people with different experiences can be one of the most rewarding aspects of student life.
Some students make close friends almost immediately. Others take weeks or months to find their group.
Comparing yourself with people who seem to have settled immediately can make the transition more difficult. Everyone adjusts at their own pace.
Friendships tend to develop when people see each other regularly. Attend lectures, take part in activities and make an effort to talk to people again rather than expecting a single conversation to create a friendship.
The first week is only the beginning of your college experience.
