Making friends and connections while taking online courses

Photo By Nicholos Nauth Written by Amy Bridges

University is where you are supposed to be making connections and new friends but in an online environment it looks a little different. It feels like connecting with other students or even your professors is harder online then it is when classes are in person. While this may be true it does not mean it is impossible. It just means there might be a little more effort that needs to be put into it.

Connecting with your professors

When it comes to your professors make sure you are going to their visiting hours. Even though it is through a zoom call and not in person those visiting hours can help to create a connection or even just make your classes feel a bit more tangible. While your professors can feel a bit intimidating, I promise you they are just regular people and they want you to come talk to them.

Connecting with your peers and making friends

As for making connections with your peers is a little bit different. But there are many ways that you can connect.

Group Projects

One way is that while you are doing group projects connect with your peers and talk about more than just your project. You might be able to make a connection this way. While most of us don’t like group projects they can be a way to open the conversation and break the ice with people.

Join Groups

There are many different groups or clubs at Trent, there are ones for your program, or ones for fitness, art, DnD. You could even join a group that isn’t for your program so that you can interact with people from different departments. Joining a group not only gives you access to different people but it also gives you another ice breaker. Most groups have different activities or social nights (I go to Archaeology movie nights every Monday … which anyone can join in just go to the Trent Anthropology Society Instagram to get more information).

You could also join Facebook groups to help find new people to connect with. Asking questions and creating a dialogue in a Facebook group can help you to find friends.

Participate!

Another way to meet new friends is to participate in social activities through Trent and the Trent Durham Student Association. Those events bring out people from all the programs which means that there is a wide range of people.

You can also volunteer with the school through digital events such as the Open House. Volunteering can help you connect with people and it will look great on your co-curricular record at the same time. There are many ways to connect with people even though it may seem odd and not what you are used to, there is still a chance for you to make those life long friends that will last a life time.