<p>what are some of the best ways? I also live in a small residential hall.</p>
<p>Go to lots of Welcome Week activities and introduce yourself to others.
In your dorm, leave your door propped open (unless you are sleeping or changing, etc.) and look up and smile when people pass, and say hi.
If you are headed to a meal or activity, walk down your dorm floor and ask a couple people to go with you.
In class, at the end of class, ask someone sitting near you a question about the class to get a conversation going and walk out with them.
And definitely join a couple extracurricular activities.</p>
<p>If you live in a small res college, definitely take advantage of that and get to know people from your dorm. Go to dorm meetings and get involved in dorm events. One of the first nights there, you could organize a small get-to-know-you activity with people who live near you. For example, last year, a bunch of people who lived on my floor went out to Kafein and got drinks. We didn’t know each other before, but it was a great icebreaker. </p>
<p>Also, if you’re studying or surfing the Internet or anything, definitely just hang out on the couches or chairs in open spaces in your dorm so you can say hi to people passing by. If other people sit down too, then you can get a conversation going. It also doesn’t hurt to just knock on people’s doors after move-in and introduce yourself to people (take your roommate with you if you’re shy). Just saying something like, “Hey, I’m so-and-so, I live over in [room], and this is my roommate, and we’re just going around saying hi to people” is great.</p>
<p>Definitely go to the Activities Fair (I think it’s on the 19th this year, but not sure) to find clubs to join. Go to lots of Welcome Week activities (I especially recommend the hypnotist show, the dance show, and the a cappella show), and try to get groups of people from your dorm or PA group to go together.</p>
<p>Hope this helps! I would be happy to answer any other questions you have. 
Good luck! Go 'Cats!</p>
<p>All of the above are great suggestions. My suggestion to add: Go to activities even if you think you might not like them if everyone else on campus is going. I skipped a concert during my welcome week that I didn’t want to go to and it felt like I was one of maybe 100 kids who didn’t go, and all my new friends were there. Was not fun.</p>
<p>^^ Ditto. I skipped out on Six Flags last year because I don’t do rides, and I had a pretty boring night.</p>