The big move to university is a nerve wracking one. A large part of this is wanting to make new friends, whether they're from your accommodation, course mates or simply people at uni. However you make friends, having a social life is key for many people starting uni. Friends obviously help with the whole experience! A great social life can help with adapting to new environments and new routines that may be tricker if going it alone. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go and do a full time job, a sport and go clubbing every night to be sociable, it's just taking time to enjoy the moments before you’ve got to put your head down and focus on work.
Make sure to make use of the Freshers' Fair, for instance. There you can sign up to all sorts of societies, whether they're related to your course or simply because you're interested in what it has to offer. There are all sorts and it's great to go out and surround yourself with like-minded people. Even if you don’t play sports that well or seriously, by joining a team you can still sign up for the social side and play friendly matches or whatsoever and have a chance to join socials for the campus SU nights or events.
Take a leap and go out and meet people – everyone is in the same position! Being nervous is, of course, normal with anything new and unfamiliar. But you’ve got to try and push yourself out of your comfort zone whilst trying to figure out who you are and what you want. Many people forget that university is the place to grow and learn. You don’t have to go into a degree with a clear path of your future ahead of you, as you never know what or who you may come across. You may even change your mind completely of what or where you want to be or create a career and life around.
That said, being sociable can be tough. It can be hard to jump head first into a room of strangers and fit in, but if you're living on campus or during your first week of uni you’ll have the opportunity to meet people around you and go from there; take people's contact details, social media handles and just reach out. These years are for having a good time whilst you study hard in a particular area of interest. So try to not get too caught up in things that won't matter in the grand scheme of things.