How to Make Friends at Purchase
December 12, 2023
Open gallery
Starting your first day at college can be a nerve-racking experience. How will I figure out where my classes are? How am I going to stay on top of homework? How do I get food around here? How is it going to be sharing a room with someone I don’t know? And probably most stressful of all: How am I going to make friends?
At Purchase, there are many different ways to make friends! First of all, don’t be afraid to be yourself. It’s so much easier to attract your crowd when you’re being yourself. Second of all, put yourself out there! At Purchase, there are tons of events at the beginning of the year meant for freshmen to meet up and make new friends, including orientation events, RA-hosted events, Stood events, club meetings, and more. You’ll be able to find out about these on Instagram, through email, or on posters hung on bulletin boards in the residence halls or outside the PSGA office, which is right next to the More Card and Parking Office on campus. Going to these events, meeting new people and just a simple hi can lead to amazing connections and friendships.
When I got to Purchase my freshman year, it was a very stressful experience trying to make friends. I graduated high school in the middle of a pandemic, which definitely took a hit on my social skills (you’re not alone in feeling that, we’re all still reeling). But I was determined to put myself out there, so I went to a scavenger hunt event during orientation. We had to divide into groups, so I hopped into one, not expecting anything much. In that group, I met my closest friends for the rest of the year, most of whom I am still friends with, and one of whom became my best friend here. We ended up going to the rest of the orientation events together, and I’ll never forget watching Mamma Mia on the Great Lawn with my new friends and missing the last fifteen minutes because it started pouring rain, and laughing our butts off trying to run to shelter. We kept talking during the next few weeks, and the rest is history!
Don’t fret if you don’t meet anyone you click with during the first week or two of school. It will get lonely sometimes - I know the feeling. But the best part is that it’s pretty hard to escape from other students! Maybe you’ll get a knock on your door from a neighbor inviting you to a game night in the lounge. Maybe you’ll join a club and end up exchanging Instagrams with a few people. Maybe you’ll really click with someone on a group project and they’ll ask if you want to come to the Stood with them that Friday night. The best part is that you don’t ever need to stop making new friends and making new connections. You’ll be taking new classes every semester and changing living arrangements every year, so it will be pretty difficult not to get to know a few people along the way. Don’t worry: you’ll be fine. :)
-Ambassador Kat