<p>Hey, I’m a guy and a pretty social person and I literally talk to anyone and everyone.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, when it comes to those college classes involving big auditoriums, I don’t know what to do.</p>
<p>I mean if I were to sit right next to another guy when there’s empty seats in the row, it just wouldn’t look right (think a guy squishing next to you when the entire row is empty) and I don’t want to come across as creepy. (again, i AM a guy).</p>
<p>And if I were to sit right next to a girl, when there are plenty of other empty seats, wouldn’t she think I am hitting on her? (Again, I don’t want to come across as sketchy and make someone uncomfortable. Again, think of a guy squishing up next to a girl when the entire row is empty) </p>
<p>So far ALL my friends are from me going door to door in my dorm an introducing myself or at parties. I have no friends in classes. </p>
<p>I don’t know what to do in a college audorium setting. Like, I see tons of people with new people studying in groups daily and doing homework together…how did they do that?</p>
<p>Why don’t you just leave one empty seat between you and the next person? That’s close enough to start a conversation but not creepy. Or just start talking to a random person (about the course reading o homework if you can’t think of anything else) and then ask if they would mind if you sat down next to them.</p>
<p>I know what you mean. I’m very social and am good at talking with others. It’s pretty hard to meet friends in large auditorium classes. In English (40 people), we have our group (5) of friends. In big lectures, I don’t know anyone unless I knew them before, or if I meet them in lab.</p>
<p>It’s just an awkward environment to strike a conversation. Everyone’s there to learn, and how do you start a conversation before class? A lot of people in this thread will probably give advice that just doesn’t work.</p>
<p>I had some people in the big classes that I sat next to alot of the time (people tend to sit in the same place after a while) and we would chat before class, etc, but none of them are really my friends now; I’d call them acquaintances. Really, you just don’t make great friends in classes like that. If you talk to people around you, it’s possible you can strike up enough of a convo. to maybe get a study buddy out of it, and then THAT might lead to a friendship. But other than that, I don’t really see a way to make friends in that situation. </p>
<p>The question is: do you really need friends in all your classes like that?</p>
<p>Not really though; I do have TONS of friends, but its just that those guys/girls are just people I hang out on the weekends with and party with. I’ll be joining a frat soon, but I’ve yet to find <em>real</em> people that I can actually count on. I just wanted to use classes and other resources to meet as many people as possible.</p>
<p>I think the biggest class I have (and ever will have at SMU) had 100 people in it and there isn’t a lot of room to have 5 rows of empty chairs (that is until everyone drops the course). SMU is relatively small so I knew people in the class already and I would sit next to random people and maybe have a conversation (I am shy unless something overtly interests me about a person) and then I sit next to a friend for a few days and maybe back to my new friend. </p>
<p>Also, there is a tutoring service at my school. So, people would study for this class and I would meet people through there. I met a good friend because of that.</p>
<p>Also, this class has a lab, so I met people through working with them in lab. Some of them remained friends, some of them seem like they just don’t wanna be friends. <em>shrug</em> :/</p>
<p>I may be like you. I am shy and reserved in conversation, but when I’m not talking I’m kinda “unique” and I have no reservation about at least trying to talk to people when they have something of interest (cool phone, cool hair, same major, funny accent, cute shoes, “you look like a ____ kind of person”, etc.) and met A LOT of people this way. I’m bad at maintaining friendships or feeling comfortable in front of ANY kind of person.</p>
<p>Try coming in late so you’ll have to sit literally right next to someone, and hopefully that someone is interesting.
In the case that there aren’t enough students for you to do that, you can try to find an interesting (hot) girl and actually do hit on her…maybe you can strike up a just friends relationship.
I do see what you’re saying though…things can get really awkward really quickly in large lecture classes if you don’t know how to handle things.</p>
<p>Eh, meeting people in big classes has never been a priority for me since it’s not the most social environment. I usually don’t feel the need to strike up a conversation since I don’t feel awkward just coming in, sitting down, and listening to lecture. Still, I’m more than happy to talk to someone if they initiate conversation, it’s definitely nice to have an acquaintance in class.</p>
<p>Sitting right next to someone in a semi-empty room is probably just more unusual than creepy, and if it happened I doubt I’d feel uncomfortable or assume that the guy was hitting on me. Asking a question about class material/homework is always pretty safe, and an easy ice breaker.</p>
<p>i made a few friends through classes in my first semester. two were from my freshman writing seminar that only had 13 people in it and met twice a week. me and two other girls used to grab lunch right after at least once a week so we formed frendships. only hung out with one of them outside of class once and theyre really nice girls and were firends but i wouldnt call us close.</p>
<p>and then theres two girls who were in my two of my classes that met twice a week. we are a bit closer because we had those two classes all in a row together and we purposely scheduled our science core and continuation of out history class together next semseter. one of hte girls lives down the hall from me and were firends but were not in the same “group” in the hall but thats fine.</p>
<p>i dont really see myself making close friends in classes because next semester i have at least one acquaintence in all of my classes already.</p>
<p>my advice would be come early to class, then smile, keep good posture, and introduce yourself; then just sit one seat away from them. shows that you are friendly and still giving them space. most likely, next time they will be sitting in the same spot, then come up to them (being friendly) and sit next to them ( or you can always say “Do you mind if i sit here”).</p>
<p>Eh, if you don’t mind getting shut down by people who really aren’t in the mood to get friendly in a big lecture, just start a conversation like you would anywhere. It’s definitely harder to make friends in big classes because often people just aren’t in that mode, but it is possible–I met my ex-girlfriend in the biggest lecture hall at my school in one of the biggest classes we have. Just sit down one seat away from someone (you’re right, sitting next to someone when there’s other options will seem creepy or flirty), smile, start chatting like you would anywhere else, and don’t be the annoying creepy overly persistent guy if they just don’t seem interested in making a new friend.</p>
<p>If you get along, ask if they want to study later or grab food after class, and there you go–outside of class relationship.</p>
<p>My friend and I tried that the first couple of weeks… Saying hi and making small talk, introducing yourself to people next to you at big lectures. It gets old, I don’t think it’s the best way to make new friends. Instead I found people on my hall who had my classes (my classes were huge) and I studied with them, it worked out a lot better.</p>
<p>Leaving a test once i started talking with some girl about the content of the test… throughout the walk across campus back to the dorms the conversation evolved from the test to normal conversation and I ended up with her number and going to lunch and a semi-formal with her. Trying to meet people during a big lecture discussion is a terrrrrible social atmosphere, and your best bet is probably the walk away from the class, especially considering if you’re bombing you can just act like your next class is in a different direction and bail. haha.</p>
<p>lectures are good for meeting up with girls you already know, and working on existing relationships, rather than starting creepy new ones.</p>
<p>Yah, I mean, you don’t BECOME friends in the class. You get aware of the person in the class and then it is followed up by a study group or running into each other some where or “the walk away from the class”, etc.</p>
<p>Sometimes I am like “Wow, you seem good at this. Do you think you could help me out some time? Really?”</p>
<p>If someone is unfriendly or uncomfortbale they will say “I usually work alone, but ____ is great for help”</p>
<p>Some of my best friendships are from classes. People who live near you and are in the same classes as you are great people to form small study groups with.</p>