Now, this isn’t the case everytime, but I’ve noticed that the people who live in my dorm building mostly hang out with each other if they live on their own floor. Sometimes, they’ll mix in and become friends with each other.
I’m not sure why some people limit themselves to their own floor only?
On an extra note, I’m not worrying about them at all, but it’s quite interesting how we choose are friends in college…
It makes perfect sense. Many (most?) early relationships are based upon convenience. We tend to befriend people that we’re around a lot, be it from living on the same floor, attending the same classes, eating in the same locations, etc. And I wouldn’t say that people necessarily “limit” themselves to that- they might just be too busy to go much farther out of their way. Friendships in college evolve. You can become super close with a number of your first friends or you’ll make new friends later, as you run into other students that share deep passions of yours.
Not true in my kid’s case. In fact, she had no friends at all in her first dorm.
It’s easier to make friends where it’s most convenient. It’s a true test of friendship, to see whether it’s a relationship with the potential to last and be strong and supportive, when it is one that exists even when it is inconvenient. At least that’s my opinion and experience.
In the dorms, especially early on, people are consciously seeking contact with others. In classes, the focus is on the lesson and the instructor. People have to make arrangements to meet before or after is they want to have a conversation, since you usually can’t have a free-flowing personal conversation while the professor is talking.
DD was in a “substance free” dorm her first year (by choice) and on an all-female floor (not by choice). She made friends on her floor and also the floor above because BOYS. Because each floor alternated with a laundry room or big lounge, there was a lot of cross pollination among floors. Also, the dorm rooms were cramped with many of them tripled up, so that may have encouraged them to get out of their rooms more. I think “friend of a friend” also came into play. Second year, 2 of 3 roommates were people she met on her floor. Third year, completely random roommates (so new friends there) along with her second year roomies and friends she’s gathered along the way. Also made friends in clubs.
A lot less friends were made in classes - it’s tough with big classes. High school is usually full of kids you’ve gone to school with for years, and the classes usually don’t have 300 people in them.
Depends on personality, too. Some people are very easy and outgoing and attract people to them like moths to a porch light. Hook up with someone like that and they will hook you up with friends in no time.