It’s the Thought that Counts

Coming to college alone and seemingly friendless is a daunting feeling for anyone, no matter who you are. Don’t disagree with me you naysayers, it’s true!

You've suddenly left most of what you care about behind and high school is a bygone era (for better or for worse), and more often than not, most of your best friends are now in another city. You open the door to new responsibilities every morning and sometimes it’s hard to find out how to relate to the new people in your life.

New classes, new roommates, new co-workers, new date potentials, new people on the sidewalks; how’s a person to start forming a bond with these people you don’t know? Well, the simple answer is that it starts with a thoughtful hello.

Friends at UT Tyler!

                 The power of friendship is something that I think is very necessary in college, especially for underclassmen. It’s always good to know who exactly your friends are, because there are a lot of fakers out there, believe it or not. Through many different learning experiences in middle and high school, I’ve learned to appreciate my true friends more. To me, friendship has been an important factor in helping me cope with being away from my family and old friends

                How do you know who your real friends are? Well for one, they won’t talk bad about you behind your back, but they’ll be honest to you when you ask. They won’t pressure you into doing something that you really don’t want to do, either. Sometimes it’s better to have a few true friends than to have a crowd of not-so-real friends. To me, friends are the people that know who you really are, even if you’re a little weird, and still choose to stick around.

                It hasn’t exactly always been easy for me to make friends. I didn’t really know how to make friends, so I set out to figure out how to have friends.  In the end, I found that in order to have friends, you have to be a friend. Trust me, it works! I love being with my friends when I feel sad, because they always know how to make things better for me.

                Someone wise once said “If you have good friends, no matter how much life is sucking , they can make you laugh”. I’m thankful that I have people who are there for me no matter what, and I know that they feel the same about me. Need some more advice about friendships or how to make better relationships with other people? You can definitely stop by the counseling center upstairs in the UC for advice, or even just leave a comment!  J

How to Talk to New People

            So, last week I covered Sidewalk Etiquette at UT Tyler, but it seems I've missed expanding on a key point. After moving over thirty-eight times, talking to people is not really a problem for me. It is just something that I do.

So when some of my friends were like,
"MEGAN, I'M SOCIALLY AWKWARD."
"MEGAN, WHAT DO I SAY TO PEOPLE?"
"MEGAN, HOW DO I SOCIALIZE?'

1. My overwhelming answer, every time, is to say- "Hi"
2. If they respond, ask them about themselves and what they enjoy. 

That's it. No tips or tricks. Just two steps. I can't guarantee that they'll answer. I have no idea if they will respond to your text. I don't know if you will even have anything in common at all.
Or, telling someone you like the color purple may lead to lasting friendships. Who knows?

What I do know is, you'll never meet anyone unless you try!