Fitting in...

LegacyUser

Hey.

Dunno why, but I’ll go unregistered for this. Just started college and it’s proving a challenge for me, because I know no one in the class, most them aren’t even from my county.
There are a few guys from my old leaving cert class in the same college, but with schedule conflicts and whatnot, I find myself on my own a lot.

I wandered around today for nearly half an hour, back and forth. Just wandering around the same area all the time. I can’t really stand being on my own; I always have to have people around. I get bored and uninterested very easily.

I don’t really know what my problem is, or what posting here will do to help it, but **** it. At least I’m getting it off my chest.

segadreamcast

Isn't there some kind of casual drinking area? Just sit at the bar, have a drink or two and start chatting with someone...?

I know I'm oversimplyfing things - and bear in mind I haven't been to college yet, but it'd be a start, right?

Gordon

Absolutely, is there not a student's union you could go to?

I found the best place to meet people was actually in the classes/lectures. It's the easiest place as everyone is there for the same common goal and you have questions that they can answer and vice versa. It's always a good idea to get to know the people in your classes as you will be working them (if you do your studies properly) a lot.

Oh and by the way sooooo many people are in the same boat as you. They need friendship too.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

seamus

As Gordo said, it's still the start of the college year, so there are plenty of people in the same position as you. Start casually chatting with someone beside you in a lecture, join a club etc etc. The best way to get to know people is to just dive into anything you think looks interesting, regardless of who else may or may not be doing it too. Do you have any practicals or tutorials? They're definitely the best place to start chatting to people, eg asking them questions etc. Don't be afraid to just talk randomly to people, they don't bite (mostly)

BuffyBot

Good advice from all the posters.

<flashback>When I went to university, a long time ago, I found myself in a similar situation. I knew nobody. I mean nobody. I was the only one in my school to actually get into university (a few others went off the the local RTC). So I had absolutely no one to hang around with. I really really really hated it - UCD was a horrendous place to be when your 17 and know no one. However, after a while I decided to take the plunge, talked to people in my tutorial groups etc etc, joined a society, and eventually ended up downing pints in the student union bar with a lesbian med student and god knows who else, just cos they knew someone I had got to know..</flashback>

So feck it, just try

Ciaran

I was in the same situation. Went to UCD, a good few of my friends from school did too but I was the inly one doing engineering so I didn't get to see them all that often. Over the first couple of days, I just got talking to a guy in a lecture, he didn't know anyone either (lots of people in the same situation). He got talking to someone else and the three of us started hanging out together.

The best thing is just to get talking to someone, they'll probably be in the same situation as you.

WhiteWashMan

you spend your first 3 months in college trying to make friends, and the rest of your time in college trying to lose them.

wouldnt worry too much.
join a club or soc, get into the bar.
dont hang around people from your own county (unless its dublin) as you will just fall into the wonderful culchie clique and wont see much outside of hurling and field plowing championship.

relax. its all new. enjoy it. in a week or two you will be drinking in the bar with your new mates, scoring hot birds, and visiting the doctor every two weeks for a new herpes cure.

have fun!

Kairo

Originally posted by WhiteWashMan
dont hang around people from your own county (unless its dublin) as you will just fall into the wonderful culchie clique and wont see much outside of hurling and field plowing championship.

If theres one thing worse than Culchies, its Pro-Dublin people.

It can be tough on your own, but the best place to start would be a shared interest. IE, clubs and socs. You should look out for others like yourself too, two people wandering around aimlessly together is better than both alone

I find myself on my own quite a bit, and Im only back 2 days..schedule conflicts and **** also

Thats another thing you'll need to handle. If you can't stand being alone, because of boredom..its a good idea to find other distractions. Just Idle in the Computer Labs or Student Bar.

Heh, also get a mate who has a house nearby to crash in. (handy for me that I have two) Theres allways someone around to annoy

damnyanks

I started college last week, not one person from my school did I see

Just talk away there are people in the same situation as you. Start talking to the person next to ya in your lecture easy enough.

thedrowner

i met my group of friends from college on the first day by asking a mate of mine from school if she'd like to go for coffee, the girl standing behind me said she'd love to go, and the girl behind her said it'd be nice and so we all went together and got to know eachother, and still hang around together 3 years later. Its not always gonna be as easy as that, but id agree with other people, start talking to people in lectures, if uve got a big enough class and it all goes wrong, you can then ignore them. Also practicals are a great way of getting to know people if u ahve them, thought they usually dont start until a few weeks in for first years.

but id advise you to get up the courage now as everyone's gonna be forming little groups which will become harder to break into as the year goes on, i know thats what its like in my course in ucd (science).

Jak

Join clubs. Easy as that.

Specially sports clubs.

If you are stuck in the meantime go to the bar and throw some money on the pool table.

JAK.

Greenbean

Lectures, courses, societies will always throw up chances of meeting people.. all the way through college. I didn't bother to get to know very many people in my year - I even had trouble convincing some of them I was in their class come 4th year, I was a bit busy hanging around with other crowds and being content. You should never have much trouble meeting people interested in heading out for a few pints; easy way to get to know someone and arrange nights out.

One subtle thing I can advise is to not jump into any cliques or big friendships early on; you'd be surprised how much things can change around you in one year. 3/4 of your friends can dissappear over one summer, going different directions (work, postgrads, different courses, colleges..). I've seen some rather snobby types peeled open when the majority of their friends dissapeared, and they then had a hard time getting on with the rest of the class who'd hated them by this stage for their elitism.

Have to agree with WWM as well, its one of the running jokes in college.. you'll always meet and befriend someone in desperation within the first week or two of college; and then spend the rest of college trying to get rid of them.

FreaK_BrutheR

Beer is good. Go to the bar chill out a few nights (if it takes a few) talk sh!te to people and viola imo. I've some top mates Ive met before from just meeting them in bars and havin the crack with them then continuing sessions other nights and stuff. its good crack.

Anyway without beer I just talk to people anyway. chat sh!te about what you're into, find common ground and moleste that till it gets boring then take over and make them interested in what you really want to talk about. women, computers and beer!

thegills

Mmmmm - What college are you in. Perhaps we could offer some more concrete advice!!
I was in TCD and Kevin St. I know Mountjoy Sq. also quite well.

Ciaran

If you're in UCD, go to the football match against Pats on Friday.

Ms Taken

i started in UCD last monday and i dont know anyone. I spent the whole week walkin around by myself

Man U babe

Me too, and I have pretty much the same problem. What course are you doing?
arseholes from my LC class are in
arts (times about a million)
commerce
commerce/spanish
engineering (mechanical/civil)

sound peeps I know are in......well I'm in maths science, and the peeps in it are ok so far, I just havent really been talking to them that much.
arts(psychology, philosophy, english)
science
electrical engineering
chemical engineering

What are you doing?

Ms Taken

i'm doing english psychology and sociology. the course is grand but its weird not having any of my old friends here. i wish they had of came too!

cournioni

Originally posted by Hmmmm
Hey.

Dunno why, but I’ll go unregistered for this. Just started college and it’s proving a challenge for me, because I know no one in the class, most them aren’t even from my county.
There are a few guys from my old leaving cert class in the same college, but with schedule conflicts and whatnot, I find myself on my own a lot.

I wandered around today for nearly half an hour, back and forth. Just wandering around the same area all the time. I can’t really stand being on my own; I always have to have people around. I get bored and uninterested very easily.

I don’t really know what my problem is, or what posting here will do to help it, but **** it. At least I’m getting it off my chest.

You sound like someone I know... are you from Cavan by any chance?! And yes I had some small problems with this last week when I started in Dundalk. It's all sorted now, I just more or less just started talking to the people around me out of the blue about the debs etc. Had some craic, then we all went up to the student bar and had a few pints and the rest is history.

P.S. There are some fugging hot chics going to Dundalk! Have to give them a mention!

smiles

I started college this week too

I was lucky enough to have a girl in my flat that i'd met 3 years ago who was in my class (i didnt know she'd be there and we'd never really talked - complete coincidence), and strangely enough she's in my class too.

My course is relatively small, only 26 of us, and of course we share some lectures with arts, science, etc. but you get to know some faces and so far the two of us have basically wandered up to everyone in the flats besides ours and introduced ourselves and have started saying hi to the guys in our class (5 girls, 21 guys :P ), and there's 3 guys (in three days) who've just started talking to us and we're in the exact same boat, most people dont know anyone else and temp. friendships spring up amazingly quickly.

Just in, both feet first, and if you're in Galway, give me a shout!

<< Fio >>

Repli

2 words: freshers week

Man U babe

hehe free coffee and danishes for all 1 math science this morning....
Because we're worth it!

LegacyUser

Originally posted by Man U babe
hehe free coffee and danishes for all 1 math science this morning....
Because we're worth it!

I cant be arsed logging in so stuff it.


Btw is babe a gender statement or are you fit?

Cos you seem easily pleased...

ykt0di9url7bc3

Anybody starting in WIT let me know if you need info on anything?

classes/lecturers/student deals/places to drink/college computer Accounts...