5 Ways to Make New Friends as a Transfer Student

5 Ways to Make New Friends as a Transfer Student

Many students transfer from one school to another throughout the year. This will often happen in the college environment when a student decides they would like to major in something the original university doesn’t offer or if they simply aren’t enjoying the environment. Although college students will have a choice in the matter, high school students may switch schools simply because their parents have moved from one town to another. As a transfer student, it’s much easier if they can make new friends as quickly as possible. Although there will also be academic adjustments, students who have fast friends will often feel more confident, thus making them better students overall.

1 – Join a study group

Students who join a study group, whether in high school or college, will have the opportunity to make several new friends. You will all have at least one thing in common: you want to pass that next exam. Study groups are an easy way to join the school’s social environment because most of the groups are happy to have new people as long as that person is studious and contributes to the group. Additionally, in all honesty most study groups end up hanging around and drinking coffee after the assignments have been completed. New students will have a chance to improve both social and academic skills in such a situation.

2 – Join an organization or club

Both high schools and colleges have organizations and clubs that meet after classes are finished. This is a great way to start meeting acquaintances and friends who share similar interests. Although these clubs serve an academic or volunteer purpose, they are highly social by nature and require a good amount of collaboration and social interaction. Students who simply want to make friends may consider joining the club that is the most social and requires the largest amount of group work or conversation (READ: “Going Back to College: A Mature Student’s Checklist”).

3 – Make one or two good friends

Many students will have had a dozen friends at their old school and are overwhelmed with the thought of making a dozen new friends straight away. It’s good to start out by making one or two good friends. In this situation, you can then make friends with their friends and so on. It’s better not to get overly frustrated in the beginning, just focus on finding one or two nice people to make the day easier and more fun (READ: “The Lowdown on Standardized Testing”).

4 – Join an after school activity

Students in high school can consider joining an after school activity in addition to a club or organization. This could include anything from sports to volunteer activities. Some of these after school activities may be related to the school and others will not. Either way, they are a great way to be able to get to know some new people outside of the classroom environment. Many students adjusting to the rigorous academic issues presented by starting at a new school may find it hard to socialize on campus or at school, thus after school activities can be a great alternative (READ: “The Dynamic, Not Dreaded, Group Project”).

5 – Take an elective class that has a social element

In addition to clubs and after-school activities, students can also take an elective with a social element. Some electives, such as art classes, allow students to collaborate and have conversations about the projects at hand. These types of interactive classes can be a ton of fun and allow students to make new friends while enjoying an educational environment where they do more than simply listen and take notes. Music classes, computer arts classes, and organized sports are all highly social and require a lot of interaction.

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