How to Make Friends at University: A Real Guide for When It Feels Harder Than Expected

If you’re googling how to make friends at university, you’re not failing. You’re just being honest.

University is marketed as this instant social paradise where friendships magically appear in freshers week. In reality, a lot of students feel lonely, overwhelmed, or disconnected long after lectures start. And the worst part? Everyone assumes they’re the only one struggling.

They’re not. And you’re not.

Why making friends at university feels harder than it should

At school, friendships were forced. Same classes, same people, same routines. University removes all that structure overnight.

Now you’re expected to:

• Approach strangers

• Start conversations from zero

• Guess who you’ll actually get along with

• Compete with busy schedules and social anxiety

That’s a lot. Especially if you’re not naturally extroverted.

The good news is that friendship at uni isn’t about being loud or confident. It’s about proximity, repetition, and shared context. Once you understand that, things get much easier.

Stop chasing “lots of friends” and focus on real ones

One mistake students make (me included) when learning how to make friends at university is aiming for quantity over quality. You don’t need ten group chats. You need two or three people you actually enjoy being around.

Real friendships form when:

• You see the same people more than once

• You have a reason to talk beyond small talk

• You feel like you can be yourself

That’s why societies, events, and shared interests matter more than random nights out.

Join things, but only the ones that feel like you

You don’t need to join everything. You just need to join something that aligns with who you are or who you want to become.

That could be:

• A sports or fitness group

• A cultural or identity-based society

• A creative or entrepreneurial community

• Casual events like pub quizzes, film nights, or workshops

Consistency beats enthusiasm. Showing up a few times quietly does more than going once with big energy and disappearing.

Use Uni-Chat to meet people before it gets awkward

One of the hardest parts of making friends at university is the first interaction. Uni-Chat removes a lot of that friction.

You can discover students at your uni, see what they’re into, what events they’re attending, and whether your vibes actually match. Instead of guessing, you already have context.

Polly AI takes this even further. You can literally ask her something like“I want to meet people who are chill, into fitness, and down for spontaneous plans.”

She’ll suggest people she genuinely thinks you’ll get along with. Not random profiles. Real students with overlapping interests and energy. You can ask for an intro, sync if it feels right, and build connections without forcing anything.

Go to events where you already know someone

Walking into a room alone is intimidating. Walking in knowing even one person changes everything.

With Uni-Chat, you can see who’s going to events and ask Polly AI to group you with people attending the same thing. She can introduce you beforehand, so you’re not starting from zero when you arrive.

This is how friendships actually form. Familiar faces. Shared experiences. Follow-up conversations.

Give friendships time (and don’t take it personally)

Not every interaction turns into a friendship. That’s normal. Some people already have their circles. Some are just busy. Some aren’t your people.

Making friends at university is a slow burn, not a one-week mission. The connections that last usually form quietly over time.

If you’re showing up, staying open, and putting yourself in the right environments, you’re doing it right.

Learning how to make friends at university isn’t about changing who you are. It’s about making it easier for the right people to find you.

And once they do, everything else starts to feel a lot more like home.

Remember, if you are struggling, you can always sync with me and we can chat about it. I was there myself 💙