Picture this: a college campus bustling with life where making lifelong friends in your classes comes effortlessly. There’s a lively Greek row, and maybe even a school subreddit whose posts don’t revolve around how to make friends. Well, too bad for us, because that is a perfect descriptor of San Diego State University. 

We’re all familiar with the “UC Socially Dead” stereotype — it’s pretty much a canon event to tell someone you go to school here and be met with the response, “Wait … is it true that that school is, like, super dead?” Whether or not you feel like this is an accurate assessment, we can all agree that it takes some effort to create a social environment. Yet, too many people expect to reap the rewards of that social environment without the work of putting themselves out there. If you resonate with that but still want to bring the campus to life, or even just spice up your day, here are some tips!

1. Hop into people’s activities 

With various amenities like karaoke rooms, study spaces, and fitness centers, a normal day on campus could easily turn into an opportunity to meet new people. Not a lot of other universities can say that they have a whole bowling alley in the middle of their campus. This sounds a little difficult, but try approaching any group with a friendly vibe and ask if you can join in on whatever they are doing. More often than not, people are open to making new connections. If this seems too forward, remember that compliments can go a long way. Do you like someone’s outfit? Say it out loud! A compliment is one of the easiest ways to make friends. At the end of the day, we are all tired college students fueled by fun social interactions. 

2. Get in that dining hall.

Friendships are built on mutual interests, and we have one innate shared interest: food. I know how convenient it can be to order your food in those green Triton2Go boxes and enjoy it in the comfort of your dorm room, but for the sake of making friends, we just have to sit down in the dining hall. With such a wide variety of dining halls filled with a diverse array of people — after all, everyone needs to eat — there’s bound to be a potential friend crush. Strike up a conversation with someone in line and ask for an order recommendation or, if you’re feeling particularly confident, ask to sit with someone and enjoy your meal together before your next class. Even if you’re not up to making a new friend, the dining hall is still a great place to work on building your current ones! Invite the funny person from your group project or the person sitting next to you in the lecture hall if they want to grab a bite after class. There are so many opportunities to connect with people over food, and a dining hall is the perfect place to accomplish this.

3. Stop treating Library Walk like a ‘dodge-the-club-pamphlet’ game

Do you find yourself barreling through Library Walk with noise-cancelling headphones, attempting to avoid social interactions at all costs? This only perpetuates our school’s negative stereotype. What better place to meet people than a line of tables with students who are literally there to talk to you? Join clubs that align with your hobbies — or even try one completely out of your comfort zone. Ask questions about activities, when club meetings are, and what a typical event looks like! Most people on Library Walk will be more than eager to talk to you and share their passions. 

Once you find something that piques your interest, get involved; this is where most people’s campus friendships are formed. As you become more immersed in these clubs, you’ll be able to apply to committees and executive boards so you can grow even closer to your peers! And hey, if nothing truly catches your eye, you could always start your own club.

4. Don’t take campus activities for granted

Campus events might be the greatest self-fulfilling prophecy of all time. The more people complain that these events are not fun, the fewer people show up, guaranteeing that the event isn’t going to be fun — and the cycle continues. In reality, a lot of thought and care are put into hosting an event. To start, try looking into the events hosted by your college — like movie nights or block parties. If you’re intimidated by larger events like those, your RA will host events a few times a quarter for their residents, giving you a chance to get to know your neighbors. Take the opportunity and go to an activity with a description that speaks to you — you might have more fun than you think. As a bonus, most of these events usually have free food from off campus. Who could say no to a meal that doesn’t come from the dining hall?

You can keep track of any activities coming up through the UCSD Student Life events calendar, by following UCSD-related accounts on Instagram — such as @ucsdasce, @ucsdcenters, and @theloftatucsd — or finally opening up your student email and scrolling through the seemingly endless number of UCSD Spam Quarantine notifications to find event-related emails from your college. If you look hard enough, you’ll find the perfect function to pass the time and begin building your community.

5. Reach out to people

Amid the busyness of our seemingly never-ending midterms and mountains of homework, it can become a little too easy to neglect our friendships. When you meet someone new, reach out to them. A simple text or a funny Instagram reel that reminded you of them can work wonders for staying in touch with your friends. Make time for people and stay consistent with your plans! Keep reaching out even if you don’t form an immediate connection. After all, relationships take a lot of time and effort; they are not built overnight. 

Develop a habit of arranging coffee dates, forming study groups, or trying something new off campus. When someone suggests doing something, don’t just leave things up in the air. Follow through with plans — it never hurts to maintain friendships. 

While the tips we list may seem small, we hope they remind you that even the simplest of changes can bring about a whole new lifestyle. We tend to dismiss resources like game rooms and campus events when it comes to meeting new people, but it’s this kind of thinking that makes us lose out on these opportunities to put ourselves out there. So, we hope you decide to follow some of this advice — all it takes to create a social environment is one social person. With your effort, maybe “UC Socially Dead” can shape itself up to become a college campus that also bustles with life.