So it’s November and are you still not sure about University or the people you’ve met? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Prior to your arrival you had an idea of what it would be like and of the type of people you would meet, and following on from Freshers’ Week you realised what actually has happened is that you’ve been forced to live with people who are too different to you and start losing a little faith in things getting better?

This was the case for me a few years ago and I was not only disillusioned by my flatmates but also by my course, and I began to seriously consider dropping out. I knew my parents would be bitterly disappointed with me and so I stuck it despite being depressed at the situation I was in. After finishing first semester with no real friends and with a growing dislike for the course, going home for Christmas and seeing my old mates was a relief. However, it also made me feel neglected as they began to tell me their own exciting University experiences. Why wasn’t mine the same?

I decided that I needed a plan of action for second semester. I studied hard for my exams and made sure I nailed them - sometimes when things seem too hard you lose interest, I wasn’t going to let that be the reason for quitting. Following from my exams I decided I would stop trying to find friends similar from my friends at home and go out and have a good time with whatever people fell in my way. Best attitude to have. I joined a few clubs and societies and used this as a way of not only meeting people, but also a way to keep my evenings busy. Things don’t help when you go back to your room and spend the evening watching You Tube or Skyping a mate from home.

Many of the groups I joined were sports I’d never played or countries I had no link to, but it took the pressure off meeting people on nights out or in a lecture 5mins before the lecturer walks in. My friendship group began to grow and this meant I began to meet more and more people through others I had met. I met people whom to this day I still am best friends with, and although by the time I met them it was too late to live with them 2nd year I continued getting on with things and had a great time the following year too.

Looking back on this whole experience as a 3rd year, I am glad it happened as it made me realise that you never need to force a friendship to make a friendship, and as long as people see you getting on with things and keeping a smile on your face, they’ll want to meet you. Many of the friends I made are finishing this year and so next year I will be faced with having to find new mates to live with for the 4th year of my course. Does this faze me? No, because as you get older you begin to realise that in every step in life you will meet people, you will lose people, you will make friends and you will lose friends, and as long as you keep yourself happy that’s all that matters.  Don’t feel sorry for yourself and go out and make the most of the time you have before your forced into a 9 til 5!