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Coming to a school with approximately 50,000 students can be daunting. Although you may know your roommate or a handful of friends or former peers, the mass of new individuals you will encounter can be overwhelming. Even the most extroverted person will likely find themselves lost in the sea of new faces on campus. However, finding people to befriend is not as hard as it seems. Through work, compassion, and a warm smile, anyone can find folks on campus! The easiest way to meet people with similar interests is to simply look for them and reach out to them. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways.

The first way to find friends on campus is to find an organization that interests you. Get involved! Luckily, it is not as hard as it sounds. Each semester, U-M has festivals that allow clubs to table and reach students. The goal of these events is to connect students to the groups and organizations that the university has to offer. The Center for Campus Involvement specializes in this, and they run a calendar that keeps students up to date about what is happening on campus. The calendar is Happening @ Michigan. From these resources, you can find out about events that organizations and clubs are having and check them out if they are of interest to you. If you are more interested in learning about clubs without going in person, U-M has a website called Maize Pages. On this website, organizations offer information about themselves. Over 1,600 organizations are currently registered, and you can sign up for newsletters from clubs and organizations from the website.

Another option for finding companions at the University of Michigan is Fraternity and Sorority Life or other similar organizations. U-M has over 50 organizations on campus. Social and professional fraternities and sororities exist on campus, so there are plenty to choose from. The perks of Fraternity and Sorority Life are plentiful. In these organizations, one can earn leadership positions, facilitate community, and find friends and acquaintances. These organizations often have a philanthropic component, which is also beneficial. Through U-M Fraternity and Sorority Life, students can get to know each other better and can find companionship.

The last, and arguably the easiest, way to connect with peers on campus is through classes. The main goal of college is likely education-based. Because of this, we all must take classes. It may not always be the most fun had in Ann Arbor, but it is necessary for everyone at the University of Michigan. When you enter the classroom, a simple way to make friends is to smile at those around you. Find a seat, get comfortable, and introduce yourself to your nearby classmates. Chat about light topics, areas of interest, majors, minors, or even the weather. You likely have more in common than you originally thought! Even if this is not the case, we are all Wolverines! It is not guaranteed that you have found a friend, but being friendly does not hurt. Having a friendly, familiar face in class is never a negative thing.

On this vast campus, the quest for friendship can seem like too much for incoming first-year students. The campus is large, and the student body is larger. On the bright side, everyone goes through this and has felt disconnected from campus before. All first-year students begin around the same time, and no one gets a head-start to finding friends on campus. Through organizations, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and befriending those in class, you will have strengthened your connection to those around you and to the University of Michigan. By simply putting yourself out there more, new experiences will be gained, and new relationships will be formed.