<p>I go to one of the Penn State branch campuses. I am a commuter. I have been in school for a month now, and I have no friends. I talk to a few people in each class; however, all of them have a group of friends already and I am just a "person who sits around them to talk to" I am shy when it comes to being like: oh hey, I jsut met you, but let's hang out. SO I spend all of my time in the library. I just hate it because everyone around me is having the time of their life and I am completely miserable. I can't transfer, my parents won't let me and I can't go to UP until my junior year. But like, everyone then will be submitting their dorm info, so they will all be rooming with friends and by junior year, everyone at UP and everywhere will have their groups of friends already, so I will be stuck alone, again. Because if I stay in the suites, then that's 4 people, I will have no one to room with, so I will be with a group of 3 friends already. gahghdalk. and there are like no clubs here, well at least ones advertised, so i can't even do that.</p>
<p>You might have to look behind what’s “advertised” to find a club to join or a group to volunteer with, or maybe take a chance and participate in a IM sport. I am also an introvert, so I know how hard it is, but sometimes you have to push yourself far outside of your comfort zone to meet new people. You could also look at groups off-campus, which would allow to meet new people and also give you an opportunity to practice social skills. Don’t worry so much about how things will be when you get to UP. My son had so-so roomies his first two years, then lived in a single his junior year and is now in an apartment with good friends he eventually met in a club. There will be many students coming in from branch campuses and most of them will be looking to meet people and broaden their horizons beyond the small circle they knew at their branch campuses.</p>
<p>sreed, I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had a tough time so far. It’s a bummer to start college with high expectations only to have them not realized.</p>
<p>But the good news is that you see a problem very early on rather than waiting out an entire first year, miserable. That’s great!</p>
<p>Commuting makes for a challenge because you lack the single easiest and most prevalent means first years have of engaging other students and making friends, ie the dorm. Lacking that you should follow 1moremom’s advice (and your own instinct, clearly) and find some organization or club to join. For every group you join you instantly gain 10 new friends (an estimate of course but you get what I mean). I would try to do this now rather than wait to move to UP.</p>