So I’m going into my 2nd year at Bard and a little worried for it. I’m one of those people who met someone my freshman year and got into a relationship and spent an awesome couple of months with them and didn’t feel the need to make too many other friends. I kinda thought other people would approach me as well but I was wrong.
Now I’m going back to bard without friends (mostly friendly acquaintances, not people I talk to regularly). There’s also not much to do in the surrounding area-- and winter there gets soo depressing. I get depressed because it’s so cold and it snows, and it gets pitch black at 4pm. I think I’m gonna make trips back to nyc a more frequent thing.
Making friends I imagine is harder when not a freshman. Any tips for me overall?
My advice is NOT to plan on lots of trips off campus. That isn’t conducive to building a network on campus, which is what you want.
Instead, get involved in several new communities where you have an interest. You can drop some after you find your people, so don’t worry too much about being over scheduled.
Join an intramural team. Try out for a play/comedy group/choir. Start a board game club (or join one that already exists). Whatever your interests are, go for it.
Do I recall that Bard’s dorms all have kitchens? What about organizing some dinner parties where attendees all bring something? You could do it around a dorm where you live, a class, an interest, a theme, or just folks who want to socialize.
Be open to the people you know already and the folks you meet. I suspect few people have zero interest in expanding their friend network. You can also befriend freshmen…