How to Make Friends and Get Involved on Campus

Post by Katrina Dan Zhao & Nelly Leo, UBC Vantage Orientation Assistants

Making more friends can seem daunting after Jump Start! Even though UBC is a large campus and you’re bound to meet lots of people you’ll get along with, it can definitely mean that you might get lost when trying to find close friendships. We’ve been there, and that’s why we want to help. Here are some great ways to meet people on campus!

After the pep rally on Imagine Day, all campus organizations will be boothing around Main Mall, which is a great opportunity for you to explore things to do on campus and make new friends in your orientation group.

P.S. Be sure to bring an umbrella - it always seems to rain on Imagine Day!

Clubs Day 2016 takes place September 21 - 23, at Agora in the AMS Student Nest. This is the time for you to explore clubs and gives you the chance  to meet people sharing the same interests. You can check them out ahead of time here.

Many faculty-related clubs will also be boothing! Find out what they’ve got in store:

You will be living in residence this year, so why not start meeting new friends there? Your Residence Advisors (RAs) will organize lots of events for you to attend and meet your neighbours. Throughout the year, many events will be held at your residence, so be sure to participate!

Many of you will be going to UBC Okanagan after first year. UBC Okanagan also offers a great amount of events and clubs, and it’s a smaller community, which is great for building close relationships. Explore the opportunities at UBCO here.

If you are a huge sports fan, the UBC Thunderbirds are actually one of the best sports teams in Canada! The T-Birds offer the biggest sporting events on campus (like the Homecoming Game), and you can join them too! Participating in intramural sports or instructional programs at UBC Recreation is a great way to make some new friends, too.

As the UBC motto goes, Tuum est! It’s up to you. The key to making new friends is always stepping out of your comfort zone. UBC is a great campus with a enormous opportunities, and it’s up to you to hold on to them. Our student orientation team wishes you all the best in finding your community!