Difficulty making friends

Making friends at University isn’t easy for everyone. We are all constantly working to improve our social skills in new situations and the more experience we get the easier it becomes. Meeting new people is scary! There's a reason why so many students drink a lot in the first few months of term, alcohol can make a person seem more confident. This can also lead to making friends with people who you can only relate to when you're drunk. This can be why a lot of friendships students make initially, break down towards the end of the first term or year.

What if you don't drink? This can be really hard, especially if you are surrounded by drinkers. Remember though that there are bound to be lots of other people in the same situation as you, you just need to find out where they socialise. Try going to more events in the day, where people are less likely to be drinking. Follow @CampusLifeSU on social media for lots of fun events that don't involve alcohol.

If you are joining University straight from your A-Levels, then you may find making friends a little harder than some of your peers. This could simply be because you might have had less practice than a mature student or a student who has been on a gap year, at meeting new people. Just think how good you will be at meeting new people after this experience though! Starting a new job after graduation will be a breeze in comparison.

It’s important to remember that you won’t be the only person feeling nervous meeting new people and it’s natural to feel intimidated and self-conscious. The first few weeks of term are an ideal time to make new friends as everyone is in the same situation and therefore more friendly, but most people meet more like-minded and long-term friends later on in their University journey. Don't be surprised if you meet your true circle of friends in your second or third year!

Here are a few tips to improve your self-confidence and make new friends.

Support within the University

Listening Service

Faith@CampusLife's listening service offers a listening ear to whoever needs it – irrespective of religion, if any.  These chats can happen via phone or video calling, whichever you feel most comfortable using. If you would like to speak to a particular member of the team then please indicate who that is when you contact them. To access this service please contact Listeningservice.campuslife@swansea.ac.uk

College Welfare Contacts

You can contact the College Student Information / Experience staff in your college who can offer you practical advice, guidance, and signposting to appropriate services. They can also discuss the extenuating circumstances process with you should you need to use this. You can find a list of the contact details for College Information / Experience staff here.
You can read more about the extenuating circumstances process here.

Wellbeing

Swansea University’s Wellbeing Service provides mental health and autistic spectrum condition (ASC) guidance and support to students: this includes one-to-one support with mental health and autism practitioners, mentors and counsellors, academic adjustments and self-help resources and courses. You can view the range of support available here. You can also request support by completing the Wellbeing Support Request Form. The Wellbeing Service can be contacted by email at wellbeing@swansea.ac.uk

CONNECT

CONNECT is a wellbeing project which aims to reduce loneliness and isolation amongst students. Their vision is that all students will feel, and will be, connected within the institution. CONNECT helps to build supportive communities by working with both staff & students to lay the foundations for lifelong positive and healthy behaviours. They are training & equipping Connectors with the skills to engage with and support students who are at risk of social isolation, experiencing loneliness or need help with developing social integration skills. Check out their website to find out more.

Togetherall

Togetherall is a digital mental health service freely available at togetherall.com. Using your University email address, you can anonymously access support 24/7 with trained clinicians online at all times, as well as a range of helpful tools and resources. It is a safe place online to get things off your chest, have conversations, express yourself creatively and learn how to manage your mental health. You can access it here: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/wellbeing/togetherall/

Family & Friends

Don't underestimate the benefit of talking to your family and friends about how you are feeling. Sometimes a problem shared is a problem halved. Be careful not to depend on talking to your family and friends from home all the time though - you need to give yourself the chance to meet new friends!