RISE Blog | Making Friends Over the Summer

By: Dannie Haakinson, Peer Educator
May 26th, 2023

Your first summer at college can be a lot of fun! You may be away from home, maybe living with some friends you've made through school, and it's a nice break before classes start. That being said, summers can also be really lonely, and with campus activity lessening, you may find yourself struggling to interact with new people and make friends. I've been there, and I'm here to share my best tips to making friends in the summertime.

Community Involvement

​This is the one that, for me, has been the most helpful at introducing me to new people and places. As Tech students, we may not be aware of just how many community activities there are in Lubbock.

If you like art, First Friday Art Trail in the Lubbock Cultural District happens the first Friday of every month, and showcases local businesses artists, and art galleries. If you like reading, Wild Lark Books hosts a reading club, as well as occasional writing workshops! Along with these, throughout the summer in both Lubbock and Wolfforth there are Farmers Markets that take place each Saturday and are a lot of fun! Try hanging out at Texas Tech's Leisure Pool! It's a great way to cool off and meet new people. Although the Texas Tech campus is slowing down for summer, Student Involvement hosts Student Organizations Events throughout the year.

I would say the best way to start with this is to look on social media! Student Engagement posts about local and campus activities. And local businesses almost always post events that they're hosting, and even places like bars and restaurants will occasionally host fun events! Lubbock in the Loop posts an event calendar and new opportunities in the Lubbock area.

​As college students, we may find even our summers to be busy, and it may be hard to find the time to go to a ton of different places and do a ton of different things each day, and that's okay! When it comes to community involvement, picking one or two activities or events and going consistently may work better for you and your schedule! If you're really into reading, try out the book club and start going consistently. If you're really passionate about something, look for volunteer opportunities and put time aside for those things! Lubbock has many local places that are constantly taking volunteers; my personal favorite place is The Haven Animal Care Shelter. While we are students, only focusing on your classes and studies can be really exhausting. Find the time to get involve in things around this community that you find fun and fulfilling, and people with those same passions will be there!

Work Friends

​Along with being a student, a lot of us here are also employees somewhere. While work isn't always fun, it puts you in a setting that constantly introduces you to new people and to new co-workers. I've found that working over the summer gave me the chance to meet new people and break out of my shell a bit. There's plenty of jobs in the community and on campus, and most of them are probably also students like yourself. If you already have a job, start talking to the people you work with consistently, and a friendship may form from that!

Bumble BFF

​Did you know that Bumble has a friendship mode? You already have access to it if you have Bumble, and you get to create a separate profile to meet potential besties! If you're like me and in a relationship, it may feel weird to use a dating app to make friends. Thankfully, there's a way to entirely remove the Bumble Date mode from your profile, which could bring you and your partner some comfort while you match with future friends! 

Don't Know What's Available? Reach out!

​Living on your own away from family can be a lot of fun, but it can also be very overwhelming to know how to meet people, and what's available to us here when it's summer. It's never wrong to not know, and there are Tech students all over Lubbock that may feel the same way. If you know anyone who's been to college before, reach out and ask what they did. If you have a few friends here already, see if they want to get involved with you! No matter where you start, I hope you're able to find a community that's good for you this summer!

 

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