How can I make friends if I'm living off campus or commuting?
If you're someone who is living off campus or commuting, it's really a challenge because you aren't on campus for as many hours. You especially need to make it a priority that you are going to have one or two activities that you are going to get involved with. They are as important as going to classes, and you will meet people who live on campus which then gives you access to a bed if you need to crash or a lounge that you can crash in. Being a commuter, it's harder because you have to be the one to really seek out these experiences. Even students who are living on campus, you need be the one to take risks to walk into those rooms where you don't know anyone. When you're a commuter it's like you don't even know people in the cafeteria because you haven't really seen them walking around the residence halls, so it's just about sitting at the table with a stranger who you don't know. That's scary, but I say give that person permission to not react the way you want them to react. You can ask "Hey, would you mind if I grab a seat?" and if they're waiting for someone, you can be like "Cool, maybe tomorrow". That's a tough thing to do, but it's what you really need to do if you want to be engaged and involved and get the most out of this experience.
