After struggling, a student asks her TikTok following the best ways to make new friends at community college. But is this even possible?
In a now-deleted TikTok, influencer @kayladavisfake tells her 300,000 followers that she’s “genuinely tried like 4 times” to make friends at her community college. So far, however, she says she’s had no luck. In the video, Kayla says she thought she was good at making new friends, but her recent results are making her question her tactics.
How to make friends in community college
Reddit user @Sheehan7 posted a similar question 8 years ago. The redditor explains the struggle of finding friends at community college stems from many students leaving campus right after class to go to work or home. Their school doesn’t have any clubs or sports, either.
Many users in the comments said they could relate to the issue. “A lot of people treat community college as a prison sentence. ‘Just do your two years and get out’. It is just hard to break into a circle of friends. I do talk to some people but only in passing,” one user wrote.
Another user offered some hope. “I had the same experience my first semester, but it changed once I got more involved. My advice would be to take challenging/honors classes with similarly motivated students. Reach out to classmates as they’re likely in the same situation. Ask if they want to hangout or grab lunch and you’ll soon get a group together.”
The user concluded: “And yes, uni is completely different to CC, so don’t fret too much.”
College students aren’t the only demographic that finds it difficult to maintain friendships. In 2018, The Daily Dot spoke to a Texas-based psychologist to get a few pointers on how to find friends as an adult. The psychologist recommended defining your idea of a friend, picking a shared activity, and, of course, being willing to put yourself out there.
Putting yourself out there isn’t easy. But it helps to remember that there are a host of benefits to maintaining healthy friendships, including boosts to mental and physical health. It also helps to be a good one yourself, and there are steps you can take to improve on your friendship skills.
As for Kayla, a recent TikTok suggests she went line dancing this week. Hopefully the journey for new friends is working out.