Dear Addie: Everyone says college is where you meet your lifelong friends

Dear Addie: "Everyone says college is where you meet your lifelong friends. I'm not really sure I've found friends yet - how do I find a group of people to hang out with?" - Lonely Lena

Dear Lena: I can say (as I am sure many can), this is something I went through when I started my college career. I focused a lot of attention on finding my place and the group I wanted to hang out with on the weekends and study with on weeknights. Half the time it seemed that many people already had friends and groups which made finding others like me impossible, or at least that's how it felt. But as I finished my first semester and started my second, I found that putting myself out there (although very uncomfortable at times) was the ticket.

Whether it was talking to someone in one of my classes who was working on the same project, going to a club meeting that seemed interesting or taking a spin class at the Rec Center just to see who I ended up next to, I had to take a leap of faith to find others doing the same.

Did I become friends with all the people that I talked to or did projects with? No, I did not.

Are my current "lifelong friends" all from my college days? Nope, not even close!

Taking the expectation that others have placed about the friends you are supposed to meet in college and throwing it out the window, might be your best bet. Keep an eye out for others who seem to be interested in the things you are interested in and the people who walk the same routes as you each day. Talk to the classmates who aren't talking to others because they too, could be looking for friends and people to hang out with. 

Friendships are not made overnight, sometimes you have to be patient because it can take some time.

Dear Addie is written by Addie H., a CU alum. She was admitted to CU as an open option student and as she got involved on campus, she quickly found her path as a writer and expert advice giver. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her dog Odin, watching all the medical drama TV shows that exist and going on trips to Target.