Meeting new people - the thing we all want to do but simultaneously dread! Luckily that means you’re in the same boat as everybody else, wanting to mingle and meet new people but trying to overcome the nerves first.

Your social life and the people you meet are a huge aspect of your University life and experience. Sounds overwhelming? - We know, but fret not freshers, we’ve got some top tips to help you meet your new group.

The first (and maybe the easiest) way to make some new friends (if you’re living away from home) is to introduce yourself and say Hi to your flatmates. In University housing and shared accommodation, you’ll be living with new people that you have probably never met before. These are the people that you’re going to be sharing your space with for the next year, so it’s important to at least get to know them on a friendly level. Once you’ve unpacked and found a minute to breathe, pop yourself down to your shared flat space, which might be your kitchen or lounge, and make conversation. Start with that dreaded (but very much needed) small talk. Where you’re from, what course you’re on, do you know anybody here, do you want a sandwich, are you going to any Freshers events??? And then get yourself a treat because talking to new people is scary, especially when you’ve just moved away from home! You’ll get talking, you’ll meet your other flatmates and you’ll find that some of you will “click” and have things in common, and some of you might not warm up to each other - but don’t worry about that, focus on the people that you’re getting on with and after spending some time together, you’re more than likely to become friends and start your University journey together.

Getting to know your coursemates is another good way to make friends and study buddies, without having to go anywhere you already wouldn’t. Plus, you already have a built-in shared interest with them - your course! Step out of your comfort zone and strike up a conversation with one or a few people on your course. You can even just have the same small talk that you had with your flatmates, but mix it up and talk about the course, what you’re looking forward to, why you chose the course etc. Becoming friends with classmates will also help you with your assignments and exams as many classes require some form of group work and you can even form your own study group. Make sure to check the date of the “Big Hello” for your course, that’ll be a great hub for you to find out more information about your course and meet people outside of the classroom.

Joining our clubs and societies is a great way to meet others with the same interest as you, or for you to find a new interest. Societies are student-led extracurricular groups covering a range of interests, designed to bring students together and find your community. We have it all! From course-specific groups such as Medical societies, or interest societies for you to express your creative passions, or somewhere for you to try new hobbies or meet people who share your nationality or religion! Our Clubs are a great way to make friends and keep active while you’re with us. Joining a Society or Club is the perfect way to meet your people, make friends, and get involved in social activities. There’s no limit on how many you can join either, so take a look through what’s on offer and sign up now! We’ll also be hosting a Clubs and Societies fair where you can find out more information. 

The Societies fair will be held on September 26th from 11am in Venue 53. Find out more here

The Clubs/Sports fair will be held on September 27th from 11am in Venue 53. Find out more here

A new and different way to make friends at University is to download the “Umii” app. Umii is a friend meeting app (kind of like a dating app) that allows you to see and be seen by other verified UCLan students who have also signed up. Create a profile on the app, with your course, interests and hobbies and then leave it to Umii to find people like you! Umii also includes icebreaker questions as a feature to ease the pressure of reaching out to someone new. Better yet, you can start using the Umii app as soon as you have your UCLan email, meaning you can make friends before you even arrive. Talking through the app before meeting also helps reduce the pressure of meeting and making friends, allowing you to meet at your own pace. The Students’ Union also hosts meet-up events to help you meet the people you are talking to. Our first Umii event will be on September 25th from 11am at our Union Cafe on Preston Campus. Find out more information here.