<p>I'm very shy, and will be from out of state if I attend UNC, so I won't know anyone. My question is, will it be very difficult for me to make friends?</p>
<p>Any suggestions?</p>
<p>No matter where you go, you won’t end up in a place where you know everyone (well, unless you work from home, I guess…). I’ve visited UNC several times and I have many friends who go there, but even if I didn’t know anyone I would not hesitate about the social aspect of this terrific university.
A neat thought - 4 out of 5 of the teachers I know at my high school who went to UNC met their spouses of >10 years while they were in college there! </p>
<p>For the most part, Carolina students are welcoming, warm, genuine, and willing to open up to new people. There will probably be cliques because so many people are in-state and have friends from high school, but many people also choose to not stay in high school circles.
About 17% of the entire freshmen class will be from out of state and likely won’t know anyone there either, so you’re not the only one. I’ve read in many places on this board that out-of-state status doesn’t matter after the first semester or so, because people get beyond that and make good friends regardless.
Seeing you’ve already stepped out of being “shy” to ask this question on a public forum, I have a feeling you can easily find your place at UNC. Being away at college calls for a new outlook and a new way of behaving because you’re on your own and forging your name in the world.
Start conversations with people around you (especially in awkward silences on elevators or the like - even if it’s just something simple like, “That rock is so funny! Who paints it all the time?”), smile and say hi/good morning when you pass someone in the hall/street, help when someone drops their things… just don’t hesitate to socialize because you will soon find the circle of friends you might keep for your entire life. </p>
<p>So really, don’t make shyness your reason for not attending this amazing school. No matter where you go on campus, there will be someone more than happy to chat with you, make friends, help you out, and make you comfortable! But the burden for making friends is not on others, it is on yourself to make the first move and step out of your shell!</p>
<p>One simple thing that really helps is keeping the door to your dorm room open for the first few days (only when you are in the room, of course). Just prop it open or something, and I guarantee you, people from your hall will stop in to say hey and to meet you. It works wonders-some of my best friends at college are people from my hall.</p>
<p>Sometimes the opposite actually happens; people will be more willing to hang out with you, because you’re unique to them–from someplace different, a refreshing anomaly to many, no doubt.</p>
<p>UCLA has even less OOS students, about 10%, and several of my close friends are from other parts of the country or the world. We all get along great, and just make our differences an opportunity to learn from one another. It’s really just not a big deal. I think you’ll be fine; UNC is a great school, and should you choose to attend, I have no doubt that you’d love it. Best of luck!</p>