<p>Im a college freshman and it's almost winter vacation. I have had a hard time making any solid friends while here. I play a sport and have some friends from the team but feel as if they are all closer to eachother than me. I never had trouble making friends in high school, but feel as if i have nothing to talk about with the people i meet. I dont drink and feel awkward and uncomfortable at parties. I feel as if this is a reason as to why I'm not as close to my friends. I have yet to meet someone at this school who is like me and doesnt go to parties. I never eat at the caf for lunch any more and take my chances with dinner. Most of the time I end up eating alone because i dont feel close to anyone enough to ask when theyre going. I stay in my room most of the day because I dont know what else to do and dont have anywhere to go. Im afraid i wont make friends second semester as well and wont have a roommate for the following year. I would be embarassed to have to tell my friends at home and family that. Any suggestions on what i can do? Ive tried clubs and those didnt help.</p>
<p>It may be as simple as doing what you love to do. If partying isn’t your thing, you’re probably not going to want friends that party all the time, right? So stop going to parties! Or, strike up a conversation with the few people at parties who aren’t drinking like yourself (rare sight, I know). Clubs and sports are a good way to go because you’ll meet people with the same interests as you. Your sports team sounds like a good start - be the initiator and ask some of your sports friends to hang out. You won’t get to be better friends with them by just sitting there and watching them be friends with each other. Take the initiative! When you’re going to eat alone, look for someone else that’s sitting alone and just sit with them. Try it - ask, “Is anyone else sitting here? Mind if I do?” Chances are, they don’t want to be eating alone either. Try to make friends in your classes, because people in your major are likely to have the same interests as you. Just say hi to the person next to you, talk about the class/professor, and maybe ask to study together. Next semester will be a good chance for you to start over and make new friends. Ask your sports friends to hang out, join some new clubs, sit with someone who’s eating alone, and talk to the people in your classes. You could also try hanging out with the people that live on your floor. Also, don’t be afraid to tell your friends and family at home that you haven’t found your close group of friends yet - they’ll understand and give you suggestions! You could also talk to a psychological counselor at school, who can give you suggestions, too. A lot of people think that talking to a psychologist means you have serious problems, but that’s not the case at all! It feels great to get an unbiased opinion. As a psych major, I strongly suggest it!</p>
<p>I would suggest getting more involved in your sport and other activities on campus. If they meet before/after meal times, it will be easy to ask someone if they want to grab dinner after a practice or a meeting.</p>