I am a pretty shy person, so college was a huge leap for me when it came to meeting new people in a new environment. When it was time for dorm selection for my freshman year of college, I was highly anxious. My roommate and I went on the housing portal and discovered there were no options for a two-person room. At that point, I had known my future roommate for 15 years, and having to be in a quad really scared me.
I was clicking through the dorms when I eventually landed on Brown Hall. It wasn’t the best-case scenario, but I had heard the front four was pretty fun, so I went through all the available rooms. After lots of panic, my roommate and I selected room 405, where there were already two girls staying. We searched them up on Instagram and decided this seemed like a good choice. This moment, and many future moments, made me realize that I would meet so many new people in college and I needed to reach out to as many people as I could. Even though it wasn’t our first choice to live in a quad, I learned how to be more outgoing and I met my best friends from this experience. The largest piece of advice I can give to any incoming freshman is to be inclusive and talk to everyone and anyone you meet. Don’t be afraid of a big change because it will most likely be a great way to grow.
Bobcat Student Orientation is where my original roommate and I met our new roommates. It was a bit awkward at first, but that happens with a lot of first meetings. Orientation allows you to start warming up to the idea of college, and you can make a decent amount of friends in the 24 hours you are at Ohio University. When selecting classes with your major, try to be in a learning community and try to find people to be in one with. You will meet a whole class of people with similar interests to you. One of my roommates and I joined a learning community together and we were able to pick up on each other's study habits and learning skills, and overall we grew so much closer. Orientation is a kickstart for the real deal, so meet as many people as you can.
College is a place where everyone wants to meet new people, and it’s also the best place to do it. Everyone is either in the same spot as you, or they have advice to help you. Don’t think that you are the only one that doesn’t feel ready. College is meant to be a challenge, so challenge yourself to learn about others and yourself at the same time. The people I have met have shown me how to be more responsible, how to always have a good time, and how to be more outgoing. I found my best friends from breaking out of my comfort zone, and it made my first year at OU the best year I have ever had. It all started with branching out and meeting new people.
Kyra Dapore is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kyra know by emailing her at kd364521@ohio.edu.
