Building friendship at a university in London can seem daunting at the start. With students living miles apart in a big city, making friends may require a tiny bit more effort.

Start with your course:

Your course mates are an easy starting point as these are the people you’ll be seeing day to day during your time at King’s. Attend your course induction days to meet your course mates in a relaxed environment. Once class begins, you’ll find that everyone has different schedules and it may become rarer for your entire cohort to gather. Instead, those breaks in between classes can become precious time to invite someone to get readings done or a coffee.

Explore your Halls:

If you’re staying in student accommodation, your halls will be hosting multiple events throughout Welcome Week. The first event of the week is often the liveliest, filled with freshly moved in students eager to have a memorable first night. You could pair up with a flat mate to attend together to settle the initial nerves.

Try spending time in shared spaces like the kitchen or common room or sticking a note on your door to let people know that they’re welcome to say hi! If you’re feeling brave, you could try and approach other flats too. Friendships can start by simply slipping a hello note through the door of a neighbouring flat.

Student Groups:

Student groups are also a wonderful way to meet people that share your passions and hobbies! Academic-related student groups are a great place to start. You could invite a few people you have met on your course and attend a course-related society event together. Hobby groups and activist groups, amongst many others, are also a great way to meet people consistently as they often host regular meet ups.

Joining a sports club or a performance-related society are also amazing experiences. There’s something special about working towards a shared goal whether that be a match, showcase or theatre production that really bonds people together. Those post-rehearsal debrief dinners can easily make up some of your core memories at university.

Bring a friend to our iconic spaces:

There’s no better way to get involved than to spend time in some of KCLSU’s most loved venues. If you find it easier to make friends when there is a little bit of chaos, Sports Night on Wednesdays at Guy’s Bar may be for you. Find out what’s on at GB and get your tickets here.  If you prefer making friends over a meal, bring a friend to the Vault for lunch to develop a shared attachment to their chicken goujons and curly fries.  

Keep consistent and put in the effort!

One general tip is that although friendships do develop naturally, there is a certain amount of effort needed to help those friendships develop! If you find yourself enjoying a chat with someone, make sure to get their socials and follow up with an invite to meet each other again. Create those group chats and keep them active! Relationships in London can feel fragmented at times, so it is up to you to close that geographical gap.