Ways to meet other Huskers on campus

Getting settled into university life can be a challenge, whether you’re a Nebraska native, coming from out-of-state or are a commuter student. Luckily, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has hundreds of groups and events on campus to help you make friends, pursue your favorite hobbies, stay active and explore your future.

Here are a few ways you can meet your new best friend while pursuing your interests.

Check out Sports, Recreation and Outdoor Activities

If you love the great outdoors and getting active, Nebraska has plenty of groups to help work out all that energy while making friends along the way.

• Intramural sports: These activities allow students to create sports teams with their friends, or strangers, to compete in a fun, non-competitive way. Intramural sports offer everything from weekly football pick-em to sand volleyball tournaments.
• Sports clubs: UNL has plenty of sports that are played in a competitive format if that’s up your alley. They aren’t collegiate but provide a bit more challenge and structure than intramural sports.
• Outdoor Adventures: Our Outdoor Adventures Center provides plenty of group activities to challenge yourself while making lifelong friends. Hosting everything from bike rides to adventure trips into nature.

Explore Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs)

Outside of sports, there’s a whole world of student organizations on campus where you can pursue your interests while meeting new people. There are more than 570 recognized organizations on campus to help develop your career skills and find like-minded people who share a common interest.

Quick Tip: We host club fairs throughout the year, allowing you to get to know clubs and organizations on campus.

Learn more about what recognized student organizations might fit your interests here.

Dive into Campus Events

Throughout the school year, UNL hosts events to get students excited and involved across campus and connect with other students. This is a great way to get out and have fun while making new friends on campus. Here are just a few of the biggest events we host each year:

• Homecoming: Each fall we host homecoming, which goes beyond just an autumn football game and student royalty. It’s a week full of activities, entertainment, giving back and putting our husker spirit on display.
• Big Red Welcome: This is a thrilling time of the year, introducing incoming Huskers to all the amenities our campus and city have to offer, and also includes the Husker-favorite New Student Tunnel Run where incoming students take their class photo on the football field
• UNL Spring Concert: An annual staple in the Husker experience, hosted by the UPC Nebraska and ASUN. The concert invites a popular artist (i.e. NLE Choppa, Usher, etc.) to play, offering affordable tickets for students.

Keep your finger on the campus pulse by regularly checking our campus events calendar.

Turn Residence Hall Life into a Core Memory

Since living in the residence halls is mandatory during your first year, you might as well make the most of the opportunity:

• Take the opportunity to meet other people in your building by introducing yourself to your roommates and neighbors.
• Encourage people to stop by, leaving a sign or whiteboard outside your dorm to write messages.
• Resident Assistants (RAs) often host floor meetings and events, which you can use to meet other people in your building or floor.

Make the most of your time on campus by getting to know your residence hall community.

Look into Greek Life

Fraternities and sororities come with a sense of comradery and togetherness unparalleled by many other campus activities. Nebraska is home to organizations from the Panhellenic Association, Multicultural Greek Council and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (Divine Nine), each with their unique culture, philanthropy and traditions. Some pros of Greek life include:

• It creates an inherent kinship with your fellow brothers or sisters, which can work with both introverted and extroverted students.
• It comes with non-social benefits like instilling strong values, creating an environment of academic focus and working towards the common good.
• You can quickly meet students from a variety of majors across campus, expanding your network of Huskers.

To learn more about how you can step into Greek life click here.

If you’re concerned about making new friends in college there are many ways to put yourself out there whether it’s getting involved in sports, joining a club or getting involved in campus events. It may seem daunting, but all you need to do is take that first step and let everything fall into place. Making the effort to make friends will make your college experience much more enjoyable.