Making friends at uni can seem daunting but it isn’t as scary as you think. Most other students may not know anyone, so try to take some comfort in the fact that many of you are all on the journey together.

Here are six top tips to help break the ice and form friendships when you start.

1. Join social media groups

Starting conversations online can be less nerve-wracking than approaching people in person, and it means that you may recognise a few familiar faces when you start on campus. Joining an applicant group is a great way to meet other students. From there you can join (or even start) a WhatsApp or Facebook group to chat with others who will be on your course, halls or have the same interests as you.

2. Be friendly and approachable

It can be intimidating to walk over to a person or a group of people to introduce yourself, but a friendly smile can help breakdown those barriers and gives the impression that you are open to conversation.

3. Get to know your flat mates

This might sound obvious – but if you’re moving in halls then a lot of the time you will spend around new people will likely be your flat mates. Keep your door open when you move in to encourage others to pop in and say hello.

4. Join societies

The great thing about joining a society is that you already have something in common with others in the group. This is often the perfect icebreaker to get to know other people, so whether your common interest is knitting or talking about e-sports, joining a society is the perfect place to meet others like you.

5. Sit together

Believe it or not, sitting next to your course mates can be an ideal tester to find out whether you can form a friendship before the lecture starts. Don’t be afraid to sit next to someone and ask them about themselves, if you don’t think you’ll hit it off as besties, you only have to wait 5-10 minutes before the lecture starts to avoid the awkwardness – simple!

6. Stay on campus to study

Staying on campus to study exposes you to more students than studying at home. Familiar faces can turn into flourishing friendships by studying together or grabbing a much-needed coffee break.