I hear people talking about these topics a lot! So let’s start a collection of articles on how to make friends and treat your social life to a makeover.
I’ve tried over the past few years, rather unsuccessfully I might add, to make friends.
I am not very good at it. Think, this level of competence.
And I suspect I am not alone in this. I frequently hear about the increasing prevalence of loneliness and social isolation, across the world.
And I frequently hear people talk about how challenging it can be to make friends. The mechanics of forming a friendship – starting conversations, following up, building trust, managing awkwardness are more complex than we think. Turns out you can’t just stand next to someone and stare at them to become friends. The process can be further complicated by online study, language and cultural barriers and bad t-shirt choices.
So I thought I’d start a collection of articles relating to friendship and relationships. I already have a similar collection on Preparing for Exams.
Now of course, hiding at home reading articles is probably not the solution to feeling lonely (I’ve tried), but the hope is that you (and I) learn something from these articles that you (we) can use to up your (our) friendship game and take better advantage of the social opportunities you (we) have.
I’ve started the collection with a couple of older articles from the blog, that still hold up OK. And then in the coming months (and years if I am employed) I will add to this selection, as I find interesting books and papers on the topic. I’ll also use this as a place to promote key social opportunities available to you as a Flinders student.
🧩 Key Reads (from us) So Far
📘 How Many Hours Does It Take to Make a Friend?
A research-informed piece exploring how friendship is built gradually—through shared time and experiences.
📘 A Helpful Way to Think About Relationships
A short reflection on the kinds of relationships we have—and how to think more compassionately about their role in our lives.
📘 The Loneliness Gap: Pondering a Path to Connection
This ‘guide’ offers twelve honest (maybe too honest) ponderings to help you bridge the gap between isolation and meaningful connection.
🧩 Cool stuff I have found elsewhere
📘 How to strike up a friendly conversation
The article explores how initiating friendly conversations—even with strangers—can build deeper human connections and enhance well-being. It outlines practical strategies like spotting shared context, showing genuine curiosity, and asking thoughtful follow-up questions, while encouraging openness to occasional awkwardness as part of the learning process.
🫥 Pish Posh, I am ready to social right now!
In that case check out:
- Oasis Flinders: your on-campus wellbeing centre with a strong focus on community and connection.
- Flinders Clubs & Societies: a huge variety of interest-based groups always looking for new members.
