Going out of state

rockymtnhigh
Sat, 30 Mar 2013 13:12:15 +0000

I will address the ‘making it easier coming from a close family’ even if it is 45 minutes away.
These are suggestions through the recent years that I gave my D’s and D’s gave their friends from highschool who went to other colleges:

1.Do not stay in your dorm room when you first get there. Hang out in the lobby. Go to the dorms rooms next to you and introduce yourself. Compliment who you meet about anything you like ‘love the wastebasket, love your computer, love the city you are from, etc.’. Go to movie nights,etc.

2.Introduce yourself at meals. Smiling help.
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3.Remember other students are just as nervous as you are.

4.Try not to go home on all weekends and go to activities at your school that weekend. You can google talk for free to family or talk on the phone. Call them once a week on a weekend. Family needs to know you need to study, too. Hang out in the library to study.

5.Join a club. Try them out. If you don’t like ultimate frizbee go to the outdoors club. Try an intermural sport even if you have no idea how to play it. Try a choral group. Anything.

6.Have food around like cookies, snacks. It draws people into your room.

7.Decorate your room with bright colors. Colored posters, etc. Nothing at all expensive. It helps to draw people in. I realized this when both my D’s went to college. Their rooms were top picks for the next year- it was exactly the same as any other room but people thought it was more comfortable. They did not realize it was the decorations, pillows, stuffed animals. Both D’s thought this was a funny result of decorating.


Someone who is from somewhere else will also need a new friend. Find them. They can make a trip home with you and you can share your family with them.


Eventually you form lifelong friends.