Living off-campus and worried about making friends this fall? Look no further! Here are three tips to help Brock’s newest students make connections with other Badgers this September.
Attend BadgerFest:
BadgerFest, Brock University’s Welcome Week, commences on Sept. 1 with Brock’s student union’s (BUSU) annual Glow Party at Weather Station Field. If the Glow Party isn’t for you, BUSU will hold a variety of events throughout the week to welcome both new and returning Badgers to university life.
While these large events can sometimes be daunting to new students, they are a great way to meet up with other first-years who are also looking to make friends before the fall semester has truly begun. Incoming Badgers shouldn’t be concerned about going to these Welcome Week activities alone. It is completely normal to attend solo, and it is often easier to meet new people when you aren’t hindered by the intimidation of being a part of a group of students who already know one another.
When you attend a BadgerFest event, you’re likely to open the door to new connections with people. While not everyone will be lucky enough to meet their lifelong companions during their first week as a Badger, for many off-campus students, these icebreakers are the perfect way to put yourself out there and test the waters of university life.
Join a club:
Brock University is home to over 100 student-run clubs, all of which are an essential component of student life. All off-campus students should feel encouraged to join a club this semester as it is an excellent way to meet like-minded people, but with so many options, it can be difficult to narrow down which group is perfect for you.
As part of BadgerFest, BUSU will hold its annual Community Fair on Sept. 3 and 4. At the Community Fair, many of Brock’s clubs will be represented by their executive teams at club-specific booths. Students are encouraged to peruse these tables, asking questions and getting to know the leaders of each team, as well as the mission and values of the clubs they are interested in joining.
For many upperclassmen, being a member of a club has provided them with the opportunity to form friendships that will last a lifetime. If joining a club isn’t for you, over 3000 students attend the Community Fair every year, making it a great place to meet new people.
Scope out on-campus events:
Once the semester is underway, it might feel as though all opportunities to meet people outside of class have gone out the window, but this is far from true. BUSU and its many clubs will hold various events throughout the semester, providing students with the perfect occasion to make new connections.
New Badgers should regularly check ExperienceBU.brocku.ca, a page that compiles all of Brock’s many opportunities into one easily accessible calendar. There are a multitude of events promoted on the ExperienceBU page, and many of them are free. Students can filter through the postings using key words, themes or dates, but it can also be helpful to simply scroll through to see if anything catches your eye.
Whether academic, philanthropic or just for fun, these events are another way to meet new people who share similar interests or values.
For many students, both on- and off-campus, getting to know the people sitting beside you in class can be difficult. First-year courses are often very large, impersonal and un-specialized which can hinder the intricate art of conversation.
While dorm life provides many new students with a group of built-in best friends there are plenty of ways those living off-campus can meet people who will make their university life even more memorable.
