How to Make Friends in College: An Irish Student's Guide
Starting university in Ireland is exciting, but it can also feel a bit intimidating. Many students arrive on campus knowing absolutely nobody. The good news? Almost everyone else is in the exact same position.
Making friends in college doesn’t usually happen instantly - it happens through small interactions that slowly turn into familiar faces and eventually real friendships.
1. Talk to the People Sitting Beside You
One of the easiest ways to meet people is also the most obvious: talk to the people sitting next to you in lectures or tutorials.
It doesn’t need to be a big conversation. Something simple like:
- “Is this seat taken?”
- “Did you understand what the lecturer meant there?”
- “Do you know when the assignment is due?”
These tiny conversations are how most college friendships actually start. Over time you’ll recognise the same people in lectures, and chatting before or after class becomes natural.
If you want an easy icebreaker, ask if they’re on YipYap. A lot of students use it to see what’s happening around campus, so it’s a surprisingly good conversation starter - theres always some goss to discuss.
2. Join Clubs and Societies
Every Irish university has dozens - sometimes hundreds - of societies and clubs. Whether it's sports, debate, photography, gaming, or something completely random, there’s usually a group for it.
Societies are great because everyone there already shares a common interest, which makes conversations much easier.
And here’s something many students don’t realise:
- You might meet people from your course in a society
- You’ll meet people from other years
- You’ll meet people from completely different degrees
Some of the strongest friendships in college actually come from clubs rather than lectures.
3. Go to Orientation and Freshers Events
Orientation week (often called Freshers' Week) exists for one reason: helping new students meet people.
Universities run loads of events during this time - society fairs, campus tours, pub quizzes, games, and social nights.
Even if you feel awkward going to things alone, remember that almost everyone else there is trying to meet people too.
4. Study Together
Study groups are an underrated way to make friends.
If you’re working on the same assignments or preparing for exams, asking someone if they want to study together in the library can be a great way to connect.
Not only do you get the work done, but conversations naturally happen in between.
5. Don’t Stress if It Takes Time
One of the biggest mistakes students make is thinking everyone else has instantly found their “college friend group”.
In reality, friendships in university develop gradually. You might meet someone in a lecture in week 2, start chatting regularly in week 5, and suddenly realise by semester two that you’re good friends.
That’s completely normal.
6. Stay Connected With Campus Life
A lot of friendships happen simply because people know what’s going on around campus - events, society meetups, study sessions, and random social plans.
That’s one of the reasons many students use YipYap. It helps you see what’s happening at your university and makes it easier to connect with other students.
Final Thoughts
Making friends in college doesn’t require being extremely outgoing. Most friendships start from small everyday interactions - sitting beside someone in class, joining a society, or chatting after a lecture.
Be open, be friendly, and remember that everyone around you is trying to figure things out too.
And if all else fails… just ask the person next to you if they’re on YipYap, if not, offer them your invite code so they can skip the waitlist (you get three of your own when you sign up!) - don't have one yourself? Here's one for reading this whole article: YIPYAPBLOGS.