One of the not-so-positive things about starting university is that it can mean leaving good friends behind. This was definitely hard for me and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to make new friends. Fortunately, university is a great place to make friends quickly and easily!

Orientation is a great place to start making new friends. It’s an event designed to let you meet other students and get to know them while having a ton of fun!! There are no cliques or awkwardness of trying to break into a social circle – you know no one and no one knows you! Check out this video filmed during my orientation in September: https://youtu.be/ezy5yWuQW4A

One of benefits of Ambrose being a small university is that classes are small, and so you’ll likely see some familiar faces in each class. This can be a big help those first few weeks as you get to know people. Strangers soon become friends when you have a majority of your classes together!

Living in residence is another way to make friends very quickly in university. When you live with someone you get to know them very well. Within a couple of months, it will feel like you’ve known each other for years. That’s what happened with me and my friends.

Making friends can be hard to do, and I am certainly no expert, but at Ambrose it has been way easier than I expected it to be. What I find really cool about making friends at university is that we’re all from different backgrounds and have different experiences. We can learn so much from each other! The most important thing to remember is to be a friend: give a compliment, high five, or simply a smile to those around you and you’ll start connecting with others and soon you’ll be surrounded by friends!