How to make friends your freshman year

Everyone wants to find those life-long college pals

college friends

Freshman year is all sorts of overwhelming and the social landscape can be absolutely brutal. So how do you make friends your freshman year in a sea full of freshies trying to do the same thing?

We've rounded up some tips to help you find some solid buddies to navigate your first year at school.

First, freshman friends come and go

It's a tough lesson to learn, but try not to take things personally when someone you thought you got on with gradually starts hanging out with someone else. Freshman year is like musical chairs.

Everyone is running around trying to find a spot to sit before the music stops. Sometimes you're lucky and hit it off with a really great person right away. Other times you'll hang out for a week or two before something changes and your "pal" finds someone else.

Make a group of friends, not just one

Don't place all your hopes and dreams on one person. Odds are in a month or maybe a year later, you will get sick of each other, have a massive fight and then be left trying to find a whole new set of friends.

Find out what's going on on campus

It might sound lame, but check out different clubs and organizations around campus and don't stop going. Find one that you could be interested and attend a few meetings. Keep going after the first event. Don't be afraid because you're new and don't have anything to contribute.

Stick with it through a few get-togethers and figure out if you could see yourself hanging out with these people. Introduce yourself to one of the club's leaders after the meeting ends and ask how they got started in the organization. Get their contact info and see if you guys can chat over coffee. It will give you an in at the club and someone to talk to next time you go.

Study buddies are key

You don't have to hangout with every friend 24/7. That casual acquaintance you made in class and meet up before exams to study can really help expand your social circle. Shoot your friend from class a text to see if they want to meet up over the weekend while you're both out. That way your social plans don't hinge on them and your buds can meet some new people too.

Don't stop making friends

You might think you found your people freshman year and that's awesome, but things can always change. You might not find those lifelong college buds until sophomore or junior year. Hangout with a variety of people and your college experience will be better for it.