{"id":221,"date":"2018-01-08T17:30:43","date_gmt":"2018-01-08T06:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unswpride.wordpress.com\/?p=221"},"modified":"2018-01-08T18:08:58","modified_gmt":"2018-01-08T07:08:58","slug":"how-to-make-friends-at-unsw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.unsw.edu.au\/studentlife\/blog\/2018\/01\/how-to-make-friends-at-unsw\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Friends at UNSW"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear new kids,<\/p>\n

So, you\u2019ve just come out of the comfortable bubble that is high school and now you\u2019re facing the daunting task of entering the biggest, most exciting school there is: university.<\/p>\n

You probably already have a couple of goals\u00a0in mind, and one of those goals\u00a0is almost certainly\u00a0meeting new people and making friends.<\/p>\n

In theory, making new friends\u00a0will be enjoyable but, in reality, it\u2019s an ordeal\u00a0for people\u00a0who have difficulty adapting to new situations. Plus UNSW is a very big place – as big as\u00a0a city<\/em> – which is exciting but can also feel impersonal and\u00a0scary, especially to shy people.<\/p>\n

\"tumblr_maemmqFWQW1rs9p9no1_500\"<\/p>\n

But\u00a0you can’t do university\u00a0alone. You simply have to\u00a0make some friends.<\/p>\n

Feeling disconnected when you start university is a given considering you might not\u00a0know anyone. But\u00a0developing a network of friends and acquaintances on campus should be taken seriously \u2013 a necessity<\/strong>, if you want to succeed. Establishing a social network at university is\u00a0vital for your happiness and mental health but it’s also important when it comes to\u00a0efficient, effective\u00a0studying habits.<\/p>\n

However, making friends\u00a0can be very challenging to accomplish. You\u2019ll need to be proactive and dedicated and go\u00a0out of your way to make friends. You also need to maintain a positive approach when doing it.<\/p>\n

Too long didn\u2019t read?<\/strong>\u00a0You\u2019re going to have to get out of your comfort zone and find a way to talk to people. <\/strong><\/h4>\n

How? Here\u2019s the go.<\/p>\n

Note: this \u2018How To\u2019 won\u2019t be explaining how to perform basic human interactions like starting a conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

1. Attend O-Week events, faculty welcomes and information sessions.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These are typically held just before the start of the semester during or around Orientation Week<\/a>\u00a0(aka O-Week).<\/p>\n

ATTEND O-WEEK. IT IS THE BEST. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.<\/p>\n