<p>Hey, I started my freshman year this year and so far I feel that I am making no progress socially. My roommate and I are chill, we get along, share things fairly, but I have zero friends other than he. I run track here and get along with my teammates, but fail to really hang out with them. The first month or so I was trying to be more open to talking to people during classes/at the dining hall, but I got so tired of not being apart of any of the cliques I saw having a grand old time, that I simply put headphones in whenever I'm out, and pretend there is noone else around me. During the weekdays I'm ok with this, because I'm busy with track lifting/track practice/school, but I really wish I had some friends to hang out with at night and on the weekends.
I know I'm fine once I get friends, because I have quite a few friends that are close back home, and had two girlfriends that I was very close with my senior year, but it's hard to start over with none. I just don't know what to do that might help me get friends, and I know it's an important skill to attain before the rest of my life. Any help... please?</p>
<p>How about getting close to some of the guys on the track team? There’s plenty to talk about–races, exercise stuff, etc. That’ really the best place to start. And besides, worst case scenario is that you don’t make very many friends this year. But you can just ambush next year’s entering freshman and they’ll be quick to buddy up to you since they don’t know anybody.</p>
<p>I do talk to the team during practice n stuff, eat with a few of them after practice everyday, but that’s been the extent of our “friendship” since the beginning of the year. I don’t really get it, back home I got asked to hang out and do stuff all the time, and I’m just not getting that here.</p>
<p>What college are u at?</p>
<p>Well, at least you get to hang out with them sometimes. You should talk more and ask them more questions about them when you guys are eating. Like what they’re planning on doing after college or what classes they love taking or whatnot</p>
<p>Do you initiate doing something with them? You mention you got asked to hang out all the time at home. Maybe you got used to being invited all the time and do not have practice doing the inviting. Ask one of them to do something with you. Sometimes you have to be proactive.</p>
<p>I’m at Southern Illinois University. Yeah, I guess I’m used to being asked to do stuff back home. Seems weird having to ask others to hang out, but I guess someone has to initiate it… Seems hard this far into the semester to all of a sudden be asking to do stuff.</p>
<p>You are going to have opportunities to meet people all the time, even senior year and beyond, believe it or not. It’s true a lot of people have formed friendships already with dorm mates and classmates, but around this time people start venturing out a bit more to explore other possible friendships. There is no expiration date on meeting new people and forming friendships.</p>