2020 has brought a lot of unexpected turns that have changed our lives forever. From the death of role models, a pandemic and, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping down from the royal throne. Though, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still giving us the looks we love! Another unexpected turn from 2020 is the decline of social interaction due to quarantine. It has been harder for those to make or keep friendships. For some, it is there first time going into college. For most, it is the first time students are living separately from their parents. Freshman year is all supposed to be about making memories, connecting with new friends and, living independently. Now that has become a little harder now that the majority of schooling is behind a screen. I know some students are having trouble getting the college experience. Never fear, I have some pretty good tips for you! Appreciations to social media, interactive online tools, and digital curriculum design, students have plenty of opportunities to help facilitate making friends with their virtual classmates. Nothing can replace the in-person experience of being on campus. However, I have some tips so you can still get involved with your school and get connected with peers from your school. Being proactive about forming friendships goes a long way when you learn online. Hopefully, this can make however long you spend at Zoom University a little bit better.

The first thing that goes into classmates getting to know each other is called ‘getting to know the face’. This refers to people getting familiarized with how you look on the screen before time goes on and they get to know who you really are. For classes over zoom make sure your camera is on and that you are presentable. Make sure you don’t have a messy background. These are people you are networking with and/or building friendships with. You want to make it at least look you got your crap together. This will allow your peers and teachers to get acquainted with your face and your presence. However, don’t go into the zoom call with your hair half brushed and your clothes with stains from last night’s dinner on them. Get in a routine similar to the one you would have if you were on campus and make sure you look like you take care of yourself. Also, become active in class so people know you are approachable.

Connecting with others at school is a little easier for us compared to previous generations. We have social media that allows us to connect with others across the globe. You can probably find a Facebook group of people who attend your University or college. There will be groups as specific as the school within the college you are attending. Also, they may even have groups created for students at your school the same graduation year as you. Facebook is the main hub for initially connecting with peer students because a lot of people have Facebook. It is also so much easier to find people on Facebook compared to other platforms. Through this Facebook group, you can connect to other students. You’ll be able to ask questions to get to know the students better. Also, you can create study groups through this outlet. Don’t let those grades drop! There will also be students (you can be one of them) who will create group chats on Facebook messenger or GroupMe. Then, post links to them in the Facebook group. You can also reach out to peers on all other platforms after you get some names. Don’t be afraid to send that initial direct message because it may lead to a lifelong relationship. However, you will never know if you never take that initial step.

Don’t let your university email pile up with unread messages. Check your email regularly so you don’t miss out! Sometimes, you will get emails with flyers for different clubs and activities that will get you in touch with other students. Just because you aren’t on the college campus doesn’t mean you can’t get involved with your school. Most schools have been trying to make zoom university work and create different things to keep students engaged with the university or college. I know personally for my school we have many clubs and activities that are now working virtually. Not only will you get in touch with people that enjoy the same things as you, but you’ll also have people you know for when you do go to the college campus. Clubs will even sometimes plan events to meet in person, so, you can match the face to the person. Even if you don’t see a club that aligns with your interests create your own. That will also be great practice for leadership skills and will also get you in contact with people with your specific interest.

Making friends isn’t always easy and can take time. You have to find a group that brings out a better you. Meeting people in the traditional classroom comes with its own struggles too. However, it is still possible to make friends no matter what setting your in. Having shared experiences away from the academic setting is an ideal and common way for classmate relationships to evolve into friendships. If you and your online classmates are scattered across a region it may be a good idea to do a project together to further connect. Students that live in the same state may plan a day trip! Having it at a central location can be an exciting and unique shared experience. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to allow new experiences to enter your life.

There are so many opportunities open to college students right now. Make sure to keep an eye out! For example, I attend Howard University and there was an event summit focused on sports and entertainment put on specifically for HBCU students. There, I connected with other HBCU students who have a similar career mindset as me. It also gave me the opportunity to network with people in the field. College is all about networking, right?

There are also apps specifically designed to meet new people! For example, there is an app called Bumble BFF, an app created by the people behind Bumble. Bumble BFF’s main objective is to build a supportive community around you. It has over ten million downloads and 3.3 stars on google play. There are also other apps like Patook which was strictly created to make platonic and meaningful friendships. Patook has 3.8 stars and half a million downloads. Like I mentioned before, don’t be afraid to send a direct message. Make sure it gives off a platonic nature. You don’t want your perspective friend to see you as pervy or anything.

Here’s a template you can use:

“Hey! I've been such a fan of all the things you post. It seems like we have [insert thing] in common. So, (insert question)?"

Another way to make friends during quarantine while in zoom university is to turn acquaintances into friends. We all have people in our lives that we would like to get to know better. You can turn these acquaintances into friends by taking the initiative to reach out and ask them to meet up one-on-one. I recommend taking them to a place that of course follows the CDC guidelines. As well as, choose a place that can invoke discussion. For example, bowling, a musical performance, or a movie. All fun things that are in public places that also will give you guys something to talk about. Here’s another template you can use:

"Hey! It's been a while. I've been meaning to reach out and see if you'd like to link sometime :)."

Yes, the smiley face is mandatory. No exceptions.

Phew! Okay, you guys should be set up to be the most popular student at zoom university. The most important tip however is to be yourself and to jump out of your comfort zone. People can see through a person being superficial even through a screen. So, make sure to put your best self forward and not someone else’s best foot forward. Jumping out of your comfort zone is not always a bad thing. It’s good to push yourself and try new things. That’s is because you’ll never know what you like. Be confident and it is okay to not make a connection with every person you meet. There are so many people on this earth so you will find your people. Don’t worry about that. All you have to do is put yourself in the position to do so. You are not going to make connections scrolling through TikTok all day. I only know because I’ve tried it already. It didn’t prove itself as effective. Either way, I laid out the foundation for you to network and meet people. The foundation was constructed with being presentable in zoom calls, being active in school activities and, using social media effectively. Now, just build from that foundation.