Conversation Starters for New Students
This article will introduce some conversation starters you can use to break the ice.
By Samantha Bockoven — January 9, 2023
College gives you a fresh start to meet new people and make new friends. The prospect of making new friends can bring up many emotions, including fear, hesitation, and excitement. Meeting and engaging with others seems natural for some people, and they will instantly be able to weave into the fabric of their new community and surround themselves with new groups of people. For others making new friends presents a challenge and may cause feelings of fear, loneliness, and low self-esteem. The important thing to remember is that everyone starting school with you is in the same position.
The easiest way to make friends is to put yourself out there and start a conversation with someone. This person might live in your dorm room, be in one of your classes, or be someone you happen to bump into around campus all the time. Below this article will introduce (pun intended!) some conversation starters you can use to break the ice.
What Brought You to This School?
This is a great starter question because people can answer in many different ways. They might have come to the school for academic opportunities, sports, location, or another unique reason. What they answer might give you insight into their values or passions.
Where Are You From?
This question allows a person to tell you a little bit about home, what they miss and what they do not miss. If they are from far away, ask them what they feel the biggest difference is between the college campus and their hometown as a follow-up question.
Do You Have Hobbies or Interests Outside of School?
This question allows a person to tell you a little bit about home, what they miss and what they do not miss. If they are from far away, ask them what they feel the biggest difference is between the college campus and their hometown as a follow-up question.
What Are You Most Looking Forward to This Semester? OR What's Your Favorite Thing About This School so Far?
You can ask one of these questions depending on how far you are into the school year. If they have yet to settle into the semester, you can find out what they are looking forward to, and if you are meeting later on, see what they have enjoyed so far!
What's Your Major/Career Goal?
This might not be the first question you want to ask someone as soon as you meet them. However, as you build a friendship, you should ask them about their major and career goals. This question invites them to share their passions and academic interests.
The above questions give you an idea of some things you can ask to get a conversation going. It is important to remember that as they respond, you should smile, make eye contact, actively listen to their responses, and ask follow-up questions that relate to what they say. Doing these things will increase your chance of building connections with those around you.
Samantha Bockoven
Samantha Bockoven graduated from Villanova University in 2019 with a degree in Peace and Justice and a minor in Global Health. She went on to get her master’s in public health with a concentration in disaster health and emergency preparedness. Since then, she has worked in a variety of public health jobs in the United States and around the world.
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