How to meet your flatmates before you move in

Simple ways to build friendships before starting your course

You're about to enter your student life era - how exciting! We understand it can be a bit daunting, though, moving to a city you don't know, surrounded by lots of new people. But it's okay! It's completely normal to be worried about social awkwardness and doomscrolling to find the perfect icebreaker. 

Well, what if we told you that you can meet your flatmates before you move in...

Group Chats 🗣️

Ahh, the power of social media! Have a look at Facebook groups for your halls or your university. There's no harm in writing a message to say "hi, I'm...and I'll be living in...halls". It's a quick and easy way to find who will be living in your building, possibly be your neighbour or who you might be sharing a kitchen with for the year.

If you're looking at general university Facebook groups, you might be able to find some of your coursemates too as a bonus. 

It's always best to see what communication tools are set up by your university, as there may already be Facebook and WhatsApp group chats.

Unibuddy 📱

Check if your University uses Unibuddy! Unibuddy helps students chat with peers, ask any questions about student life and join secure chats before beginning their university journey. It's great to use if you would prefer a specific student app rather than scrolling through social media channels trying to find the right groups. There are groups you can join, such as housing chats, specific courses and clubs to build your connections sooner.

Another great feature of Unibuddy is that universities can see what students care most about through the app's insights, making it easier to communicate issues and improvements.

The Student Room 💻

Platforms like The Student Room are student-led, perfect for asking relatable questions about worries, anxieties and general life. But they're also great for seeing who's attending university at the same time as you. Instead of scrolling through social media, you can put a post out on the platform with what university you are attending, and people can comment with their courses.

It's a great way to connect to people in and outside of your course/flat, almost like pre-branching out your friendship groups. These platforms have a lot of freedom, whether you just want to meet people to ease any initial social awkwardness or if you want to ask any questions about societies and freshers' week.

Freshers' week 🎉

Speaking of Freshers...it's a week of endless events that provide many opportunities to say hello and meet new people at university before your course starts. But most importantly, it helps you have fun whilst being a good icebreaker. Even if you make friends with one person, don't be afraid to introduce yourself to another group. Remember, you're all in the same boat, and others will be just as nervous as you are, so people are more likely to engage in conversation.

Keep an eye on your university ResLife pages and social media channels to see any upcoming events for when you arrive. You can then ask in group chats and on platforms who is going and if you can join a group.

Moving to a new area is overwhelming, especially with people you don't know. So, if there's any way these suggestions can ease your worries and anxieties before moving to university, then it's definitely worth checking them out!

Read one of our resident's stories on how they made friends halls.