Participation also shows that you’re a good student, so people might want to pair with you for group work too. If you’re in a Zoom classroom, try leading the discussion if you need to go into a breakout room.
“Hey everyone! I’m Alex and I’m so excited to be taking this class! Can’t wait to meet you all!” “Hi! My name is Tess, and I’m majoring in psychology! Hope everyone is having a great day!” “Hey, I’m Robert! I’m a film major and I love shooting short videos in my free time. Good luck in class everyone!” Other people are probably just as nervous to make new friends as you are, so taking the lead might make them open up more.
“That’s a great point, Jane! I never considered that as a theme in the text, and you really opened my eyes!” Being active on class discussion boards is usually part of your grade too, so it’s important to make posts and reply.
“Hey Lacy, This is John from English. I thought your last post on the discussion board was so insightful, and this new assignment is confusing me a bit. Do you have any advice on how to answer these questions? Thanks!”
“Hey everyone! I know there’s an exam coming up next week, so would anyone want to start a study group? We can chat about the assignments and work on some practice problems together. Let me know if you’re interested and what times work best for you!” If you’re taking an online class but are still on campus, you could even meet up in a common area to study.
If you don’t find a club that you want to join, you can always start one of your own. You could also check on social apps like Meetup to find hobby groups in your area.
Ask other students in your class if they have a group message on GroupMe or WhatsApp where they talk about schoolwork outside of class.
“Hey there! How have the assignments been treating you this week?” “Hi! It’s Lauren from calculus. How was your weekend?” “Ugh, class is stressing me out! What do you like to do in your free time to help unwind?”
“Hey, I really like what you have to say in class and was wondering if you wanted to hang out on a video call later? We could have a coffee and just chat. Let me know if you’re free!” “Hey, do you like tacos? I found this new recipe and I thought it would be fun if we could hop on a video call and both cook while we chat. What do you think?”
Try playing a board game online, like Codenames or Scattergories. Have someone share their screen so you can all watch your favorite movie that’s streaming. Ask everyone to make a goofy slideshow and take turns presenting to one another.
If you live near the campus, check for any school-sponsored events that you can attend together.
