Fighting Campus Isolation
We are in a time of increasing isolation. Many can reflect on their lives and feel like they have no friends, and it seems impossible to make friends. Afterall, there is no Hinge for friends.
Going to the games, even by yourself, is a great way to meet new people early in the school year.
Make cookies or treats for your classmates. Food buys friends. Just make or buy some desserts and give them out to people. This will warm up your classmates and break the ice in a non-basic, non-boring way.
Do something childish with a group of people. As a kid, you could make friends with anyone. Recreate this by going back to old activities. Round up a group of people and play a game of tag or race down the slides at Washington Park after hours. This will automatically make it clear you’re a chill guy.
Be the person who plans things. Invite people to things; it doesn’t have to be fancy. Ask the person sitting next to you if they want to get a coffee after class. Host a game night with some coworkers and acquaintances.
Besides, the worst they can say is no. If they do, accept it and move on, but in all likelihood, if you’re polite and don’t
Don’t throw yourself a pity party. People aren’t talking to you or inviting you to things because they feel bad. If you are invited to something, say yes! Even if it’s awkward and you may not know people at a given event, just showing up and chatting for a bit can lead to surprising results and connections.
For the love of all things good in the world, join a club. It doesn’t even have to be something you’re interested in; just showing up and meeting new people breaks you out of your isolation and helps you practice socialising outside a classroom setting.
Remind yourself to stay in contact with people you connect with. Set reminders on your phone for when to reach out, or associate talking to them with something you see in real life. (For example, you could text a friend every time you see a cool cloud– the text doesn’t have to be about a cloud, but it provides a good reminder)
Not every friendship will last a lifetime, don’t put too much pressure on finding “your people.” In fact, you may find you don’t really know who “your people” are. This is a time to hang out with different people and see what you like in a friendship. Do you like constant contact or a more independent friendship? Are there certain activities you like to share with others versus ones you like to keep for yourself?
None of this is to say that isolation is your fault; the world we live in incentivizes our attention to go online, where they make money off of our eyes. There is no money to be made when we hang out and touch grass. Pushing against the forced isolation is hard; it takes practice and courage, but in the end, it is worth it.
Being with others makes us happy and just improves the quality of life. Sometimes it really is those damn phones that are making us feel horrible.
