Establishing healthy relationships while you’re at UH

Welcome to the big leagues, kid. It is your time to really live your best life. You might not know what that looks like, but I can almost guarantee that it will be a much more joyous experience with a couple of buddies, pals, comrades or truly ride-or-die besties by your side.

I was lucky enough to go to the same college my older sister was attending. In my mind, this pretty much guaranteed I would have a friend by my side every step of the way. In some ways this was true, but as her graduation approaches, I have realized that I have made only a few friends at the University of Houston.

Between commuting and having my sister act as my social safety blanket, I didn’t really prioritize making friends. Recently, I have found myself struggling to find motivation for school and work. I felt like there was no balance between my academic/ work life and my social life. I decided to do
something about it, and began to pay more attention to my peers and the people around me.

Trust me when I say this: I don’t have it all figured out and my social life is definitely still under construction, but here is my best advice on how to make friendships that last.

Talk to the person next to you
First day of class is probably one of the best days to make new friends, everyone is just as scared as you are. You just have to make the first move. 

Sit by people who draw your attention. Maybe you like their outfit, shoes, backpack or just general vibe; this will help you strike up a conversation. 

Give them a quick compliment, start some little small talk, and then if they are investing the same energy into the conversation, you have a new friend.

Continue to sit next to them and keep chatting. Ask them to meet up and study, and slowly you might start hanging out for fun.

Join organizations, clubs
Joining organizations that interest you is a great way to meet people who you have something in common with. It’s a great conversation starter and great for making connections.

Get out of your comfort zone
I’ll be honest, I am not the most social person in the world, and up until this past semester, it took a lot out of me to meet and talk to new people.

Once I realized not talking to people was literally making me suffer, I really had to push myself to talk to strangers.

This was one of the best decisions I’ve made. It helped me grow as a person and it opened
my horizons. I made great friends and even made connections that are helping me with my career.
Cultivate the healthy friendships you already have
Even in the process of making new friends, it is important not to forget about the ones you
already have.

It is great to expand your horizons and push your boundaries, but remember those who were there when it all started.

If you feel like you are drifting apart or don’t have a lot in common with them anymore, set
a date when you guys can hang out and get to know each other again.

College is a place where most of us grow and hopefully become better versions of ourselves, and sometimes we can grow a little distant from close friends, but don’t let that discourage you.

Make healthy friendships work. But also, if you feel like the friendship is no longer working, that is OK too.

Be genuine
If you truly want to make friendships that last, be yourself. Colleges in general are so
diverse, UH in particular, is a whole world on its own.

I can almost guarantee that there is somebody on campus that loves that obscure band that you thought only you knew about.

There is somebody for everybody. 

You just have to go out there, talk to people, be yourself, have fun and show the world who you really are.