With more than 48,000 students, UCL has the largest student population in the UK.
Whilst it may be reassuring to be part of such a large student community, it may also beg the question - how do you find people you gel with?
Whilst there's no clear-cut answer, it's useful to know that you can find friends in the most unlikely scenarios... but there are also some sure-fire ways to find your next group of friends.
Get stuck in with Welcome Week
Welcome Week is the best time to make friends because everyone is in the same boat - new, a little nervous, but keen to find their people.
Welcome Week has hundreds of events taking place that cater to every interest imaginable.
We have free breakfasts for the early birds, speed-friending for the efficient, team try-outs for the sporty, craft sessions for the creatives, and, of course, our famous suite of club nights that showcase the best London has to offer.
Find out more about Welcome Week and start planning your first foray into life at UCL now. It is going to be busy and intense, but also the best time ever.
Find your people through our Groups
We'll say it time and time again - joining a society is by far the easiest way to meet friends at University. You'll meet people with a mutual interest who are there to meet new people and take part in group activities.
We have over 300 student groups that range from some of the most niche hobbies out there to sports teams that cater for all abilities. Want a taster of what is on offer? Meet our Class of 2024 students, who have shared how clubs and societies shaped their student experience.
Join us over on Instagram Wednesday 4 September for a Q and A with Ana, our Activities and Engagement Officer, who will be answering all your clubs and societies questions.
Stay fit and find friends at the same time
If you are all about health, fitness and efficiency, there are lots of ways you can stay active and meet new people at the same time.
We have more than 70 sports teams as part of TeamUCL, that span a wide range of sports and abilities. We have amazing clubs who train, compete, volunteer, fundraise, and socialise on a regular basis; intramural leagues that provide friendly competition for friendship groups, societies, halls of residencies, and more; and a performance sport programme that facilitates performance at the highest level.
Project Active is all about making exercise accessible – every class has a relaxed, friendly environment, and you’re bound to be surrounded by other people enthusiastic about getting active.
Their classes are low-cost, beginner friendly and require no commitment at all – so if you want to try Barre one week and join the Park Run team the next, you can! However, we’re sure you’ll soon begin to see some familiar faces and your weekly class will become as much of a social event as a way to keep fit.
Taster sessions allow you to try out your society and to meet new people in a pressure-free environment. Even if you don’t end up liking ballet as much as you expected, you might meet your future flatmate in the process of trying it out.
Discover your community via our Networks
Our Networks represent an opportunity for students to challenge and campaign against discrimination, oppression and inequality faced by themselves or others and work to defend and extend their rights.
Our Networks include:
They also run a bunch of events to help you get to know other students - the LGBTQ+ Network in particular has a packed calendar of laid-back events like cupcake socials, movie nights and more.
Come to our bars and cafes!
We run a number of bars, cafes and shops across our campuses, that provide you with the opportunity, to meet, talk, eat, dance and socialise in spaces that are cheaper than the London high street.
Whether it's Doja Cat or The Beatles you're into, you're bound to find someone with the same music taste as you. Live Music Society put on some great live music nights at Mully's if you want to find some gig buddies, and look out for Jazz Jammin at Phineas and the Institute Bar every week.
Fun fact – we actually have a dedicated Taylor Swift Society, where you can find people to sing All Too Well with you on a Saturday night.
Classmates make the best mates
Your course is the best way to chat to people if you have trouble breaking the ice – whether it’s getting teamed up in a seminar or asking the person next to you for last week’s lecture notes, you automatically have something in common with people on the same course as you.
Try inviting your seminar buddy out for a coffee after class, or set up a study session with other people on your module!
There's no harm in asking your course mates if they want to go for a coffee after class - they'll most likely say yes, as everyone is in the same position and wants to meet people. Also, it's hugely beneficial to have mates in your class - they can send you the notes from the class you missed, or you can link up with them for a study session before exams.
When neighbours become good friends
Staying in halls is one of the easiest ways to meet people - you're sharing a kitchen, sometimes a bathroom, and your halls will likely have mixer events on in the first few weeks to help you get to know people in your building.
On move in day, prop your door open and wave hello to people as they walk past. Get some music going, maybe have a couple of drinks to hand, and your room will be party central in no time. Moving in a bit later and worried you've missed the action?
Go knock on some doors and politely introduce yourself. Remember, everyone is in the same boat, and are just as shy and nervous as you no doubt!
If you're not staying in halls, worry not - your department will likely have a common room, too, so don't be afraid to strike up a conversation there!
So there you have it - the easiest way to make friends at University is to be open to chatting with everyone - whether that's striking up a conversation in the queue to get your ID card or inviting your new classmate for a post-lecture gossip at Print Room Cafe.