How to Make Friends in College, Even After the First Few Weeks

Here is how to make friends in college, in one sentence: find two or three places where the same people show up every week, keep showing up, and then invite one of them to do something outside that setting. Friendship is mostly repeated time together, and researchers have put a rough number on how much it takes.

That is good news if the first few weeks didn't go the way you pictured. Many early friend groups form around convenience, like a shared hallway or an orientation group, and they shift as people figure out what they care about. You haven't missed a window. You need a plan that creates the hours.

Below you'll find the plan, the best places to meet people, scripts for class and advice for your situation.

Is It Normal to Not Have Friends in College Yet?

Yes. Not having close friends yet is common, especially in your first year or your first term at a new school.

In the 2024–2025 Healthy Minds Study, which drew responses from more than 84,000 students at 135 colleges and universities, 52% of students reported high levels of loneliness. That is down from 58% in 2022, but it still means more than half of the people around you feel some version of what you feel.

Your feed won't show you that. It shows the group photos, not how many people in them met three weeks ago.

There is also a quirk in how we read our own conversations. In a 2018 paper in Psychological Science, researchers found that people consistently underestimate how much their conversation partners like them. They called it the liking gap, and among first-year students getting to know their dorm mates, it lasted for several months.

So the classmate you think found you awkward probably enjoyed talking to you more than you assume. Send the follow-up text.

Why Is It So Hard to Make Friends in College?

It is hard because college removes the structure that used to make friendship automatic. In high school you saw the same people for hours every day. In college, your schedule changes every term and most contact is brief.

• Classes don't create much talk time. You can sit next to someone all semester and never learn their last name.
• Most contact is task-based. Working together counts for less than hanging out (more on that below).
• Everyone waits to be invited. Most students feel as unsure as you do.
• Schedules pull people apart. Jobs, commutes and different majors mean you might never cross paths again after one good conversation.

How Many Hours It Takes to Make a Friend

It takes roughly 50 hours together to go from acquaintance to casual friend, about 90 hours to become friends and more than 200 hours to become close friends. Those estimates come from research by Jeffrey Hall at the University of Kansas, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Hall ran two studies. One surveyed 355 adults who had recently moved and were looking for friends. The other followed 112 KU freshmen, asking about two people they had met in their first two weeks of school and checking back four and seven weeks later.

The type of time matters. Hanging out, joking around and playing video games counted, while hours spent working together didn't count as much. Hall's advice: "If you are interested in a friendship, switch up the context." If you only see someone in lab, suggest lunch.

He also put it plainly: "You can't make people spend time with you, but you can invite them."

Now do the math. At 4 hours of real social time a week with someone, 50 hours takes about 12 to 13 weeks. At 6 hours a week, it is closer to 8. A friendship you start this month can reach casual-friend territory around the end of the term. That is normal speed, not slow.

How to Make Friends in College: A Weekly Plan

The most reliable way to make friends in college is to commit to a few recurring settings and turn some of that shared time into one-on-one time. Here is the plan.

1. Choose two recurring settings. Same people, same time, every week. Make one tied to a class (a study group or lab section) and one tied to something you enjoy (a club, team or volunteer shift).
2. Give each one four weeks. In week one, nobody knows you. By week three or four, people recognize you, and that makes small talk easy.
3. Arrive five minutes early and stay five minutes late. The real conversations happen around the official part.
4. Learn two names a week and use them. "Hey, Priya" lands very differently from "hey."
5. Make one small invite a week. Coffee after the meeting, dinner at the dining hall or a walk to your next class. Plans with a built-in end time are easy to say yes to.
6. Follow up within 48 hours. Text something specific: "That story about your chem professor is still killing me. Want to study for Thursday's quiz?"
7. Host something once a month. A pre-exam study session, a movie night or a pickup game makes you the person who connects everyone else.

A Sample Week

Here is an illustrative week for a student who lives on campus. Adjust it to your schedule.

That adds up to about 6 to 7 hours a week, spread across several people. Expect a plan like this to build a few casual friendships over a term or two. That is a solid result, and closer friendships grow out of it.

Where to Meet People in College: Settings Compared

The best places to meet people in college are the ones where you see the same small group every week and have something to do together. Use this table to pick your two settings.

One-time events help you discover clubs, but you rarely see the same faces twice, so use them to find a recurring setting. Pick clubs that meet weekly and work in small groups. A 300-member club that meets once a month is basically a mailing list. And if you need income anyway, a campus job comes with built-in coworkers.

How to Make Friends in College Classes (with Scripts)

Classes are the easiest place to start because you already share a topic, a deadline and a reason to talk. Sit in roughly the same seat each time so you keep seeing the same neighbors.

Openers to Use Before and After Class

• "Did you get anything for number 4? I can't figure out how they set it up."
• "What did you think of the reading? I couldn't tell if the author was being sarcastic."
• "I'm Jordan, by the way. I feel like we've sat next to each other for three weeks."
• "I'm grabbing coffee before my next class if you're headed that way."

Turning a Classmate into a Study Partner

Suggest one specific session within a few days. A vague "we should study sometime" rarely happens. Try one of these texts:

• "Hey, it's Jordan from Bio 101. Want to compare notes before Thursday's quiz? I'm free after 3."
• "That lecture lost me around slide 20. Want to go over it at the library tomorrow?"
• After an exam: "How do you think that went? Want to get food and not talk about it?"

If asking for a number feels like a lot, suggest a group chat for the section: "Should we start a chat for this class? Easier to check due dates." You get everyone's number at once.

Inviting People to a Study Group

Keep it to three to five people at a fixed weekly time, and make the invite concrete:

"I'm starting a study group for the midterm, Tuesdays at 7 in the library. Bring whatever you're stuck on. Want in?"

Give the session some structure so it doesn't fade out: quiz each other, take turns explaining problems and finish with food now and then. These study habits that improve retention and study techniques for college students work well as group formats.

If one class is eating every free hour, that is time you can't spend with people. A tutor can walk you through the material or give feedback on your own drafts so you work faster. Book a tutoring session or draft review if that would help.

Advice for Introverts, Commuters, Transfer Students and More

The plan works for everyone, but the best first steps change with your situation.

If You're an Introvert

You don't need a big group. You need one or two people you see often, which fits how friendship actually forms.

• Choose settings with a built-in activity, like a lab, a board game club or a volunteer shift, so you aren't relying on pure small talk.
• Invite one person at a time instead of organizing a crowd.
• Plan recovery time after social days so you can keep showing up.

If You Commute

Commuters don't get a hallway full of neighbors, so build the hours on purpose using time you are already on campus.

• Leave an hour or two between classes open on at least one day, and spend it with classmates instead of in your car.
• Look for a commuter lounge or commuter student organization.
• Join one club that meets right before or after a class you already attend.

If you also work off campus, this guide on how to manage college and work can help you find room in your week.

If You're a Transfer Student

Go where other new people are. Ask your transfer center about transfer orientation, transfer student groups or a transfer honor society.

Your major is your best long-term bet. Department events and upper-level classes put you with the same people for the next two years.

When Everyone Already Has Friends

Groups that look closed usually aren't, and most people are happy to add someone who shows up consistently. Join something new instead of trying to break into a group that formed in a dorm you never lived in.

• Use the start of each term. New classes, new lab sections and spring club recruitment reset the room.
• Message one person from last term's class: "Are you taking anything with Dr. Lee this spring?"
• Sophomores and juniors rebuild friend groups all the time as people change majors and housing. You are not behind.

If You Don't Drink or Party

You have plenty of company. In the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 49.6% of full-time college students ages 18 to 25 said they drank alcohol in the past month, which means about half didn't.

• Look for daytime and alcohol-free events. Many campuses run late-night weekend programs, and some offer substance-free housing.
• Outdoor clubs, gaming groups, faith groups and service organizations center on an activity, not a party.
• When you turn down a party, offer an alternative: "Not really my thing, but want to get breakfast Saturday?"

If You Have Social Anxiety

Social anxiety can make every step above feel much harder, and that is not a personal failing. The National Institute of Mental Health notes that social anxiety disorder can look like extreme shyness, but the fear often feels uncontrollable and can interfere with daily life. NIMH calls cognitive behavioral therapy the "gold standard" psychotherapy for it.

• Start with structured settings, like a study group with an agenda or a volunteer shift with a clear task.
• Prepare two or three openers ahead of time so you have words ready.
• Talk to your campus counseling center. Many schools offer free or low-cost sessions to enrolled students, so check what yours provides.

This is general information, not medical advice. If loneliness or anxiety ever turns into thoughts of hurting yourself, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which is free, confidential and available 24/7.

Common Mistakes That Keep Friendships Stuck at Hello

Most stalled friendships stall for the same few reasons, and each has a simple fix.

• Waiting to be invited. Make one small invite a week. Most people are waiting too.
• Quitting a club after one meeting. Give it four weeks before you decide.
• Keeping everything in class. Switch the context with lunch, coffee or a walk.
• Saying yes to everything in week one, then nothing after. Steady beats intense, and overloading yourself can feed academic burnout.
• Expecting your roommate to be your best friend. Aim for a good living arrangement first. A roommate agreement helps, and friendship may follow.
• Reading silence as rejection. Remember the liking gap. People usually like you more than you think, and many are just busy.

Start this week. Pick your two settings, put them on your calendar and send one text. That gets the first hours on the clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take to Make Friends in College?

Research by Jeffrey Hall at the University of Kansas estimates about 50 hours together to become casual friends, about 90 hours to become friends and more than 200 hours to become close friends. At four to six hours of real social time a week with someone, a casual friendship can form within a term. Hanging out counts more than working side by side, so move some time outside class.

Is It Too Late to Make Friends in College as a Sophomore or Junior?

No. Friend groups keep changing through college as people switch majors, move out of first-year housing and pick up new interests. Every term brings new classes, lab sections and club recruitment, which reset the room. Join one new recurring activity, message a classmate from last term and make one small invite each week. Consistency matters far more than timing.

Can You Make Friends in College Without Joining a Club?

Yes. Clubs are only one kind of recurring setting. A weekly study group, a lab section, a campus job, a volunteer shift or a regular pickup game all put you around the same people often enough for friendship to build. What matters is seeing the same faces every week and eventually inviting someone to spend time together outside that setting.

How Do You Make Friends in College If Your Classes Are Online?

Start with the class tools you already have. Reply thoughtfully to discussion posts, suggest a group chat or video study session before exams, and keep in touch with people you click with in breakout rooms. If you live near campus, join one in-person activity a week. If you don't, look for virtual clubs or student organizations that meet on a fixed schedule.

How Can Parents Help a College Student Make Friends?

Listen more than you advise, and don't treat a slow start as a crisis. Loneliness is common in the first year. You can point them to clubs, intramurals, commuter programs or the next activities fair. Avoid planning their weekends around visits home if it keeps them off campus. If they seem persistently down or withdrawn, encourage them to contact the campus counseling center.

What Should You Do If You Feel Lonely All the Time?

Start with one small step: a recurring activity, a study group or a text to a classmate. If loneliness lasts for weeks, affects your sleep, appetite or grades, or comes with hopeless thoughts, contact your campus counseling center. If you ever think about hurting yourself, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which is free and available 24/7.