As a rising senior, reluctant to pass the torch to graduating classes after me, I’ve begun reminiscing on my experiences at Binghamton University. With newfound knowledge and great appreciation for my time here, I finally feel able to share my advice to incoming freshmen.

While making friends seems like something that is supposed to come naturally, I think we can all agree that most times it does not. I remember that summer after high school, anxiously awaiting the start of my first semester. I had concerns about being away from home, being apart from friends and family and finding a place for myself — my very own community.

Luckily, I had a small group of close friends coming in, and I was able to confidently, over time, grow my circle and get to know people I would never have met otherwise.

And while it worked out for the best, as I’m sure it will for you, there were times I wished I had a step-by-step guide of how and where to make friends: so here is my gift to you.

Get to know your roommate

An important thing to note is that you and your roommate should have similar interests and social habits. For instance, if you like going out and having an active nightlife, it would be a good idea to make sure your roommate does too. Chances are they’re creating their own circle of friends with similar interests to hang out with coming into school, and before you know it you’ll have four, five more friends to make plans with just by choosing a roommate with similar social goals.

On that note, your roomie can end up being your built-in best friend throughout college. Get to know them before coming into the fall semester and especially put in effort to spend time with them those first few weeks to build trust and deepen your friendship.

Stay active on social media

Post on that unofficial incoming freshmen page that you’ve been eyeing on Instagram. Sure, it might feel a bit embarrassing to put yourself out there, but I guarantee that you will get messages from other incoming freshmen looking to make connections and friendships before getting to campus. As I’m sure you’ve heard over and over from family and older friends, other freshmen are just as anxious as you about being in a new environment — don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

While posting on the unofficial Instagram page might get you a foot in the door in making friends, make sure you keep up with it. When you get to campus, follow up with students you’ve connected with through the page and make plans. The first things other freshmen, like yourself, are going to want to do is have friends to eat meals with and go out with for the first few nights — use that to your advantage to start getting to know other students.

Go out

While I’m not condoning underage drinking, you’re definitely going to want to go out the first few nights. Returning students don’t get to campus until a few days in, which means most students going out to the bars downtown and to frat parties will be incoming freshmen. You’ll definitely run into people who you might’ve talked to on social media (if you’re taking my advice), and being in this setting could take the pressure off meeting people in person for the first time.

Note that you might get invited to Greek life rush events through friends or directly from students in Greek life, which include themed parties where you get to socialize with the organization you’re going out with.

Greek life isn’t for everyone, but the great thing about these parties is that you will see familiar faces and it’ll give you more opportunities to meet other freshmen testing the waters in a fun environment just as you are.

Get involved in student organizations

Last but not least, make sure you go to UFEST. If you don’t already have your eye on some organizations you’d like to get involved with, UFEST is a great way to talk to students about the goals of the organizations they’re in and how to get involved. If you’re part of a certain multicultural community, or are interested in sports, arts or have a specific career path — there’s definitely something for you at the University.

Try to go to as many general interest meetings as you can and make sure you keep an eye out for internships within the organizations you are interested in. You tend to figure this out later on in your college career, but the best way to truly get involved in an organization is to intern, which opens up the possibility of running for E-Board positions later on.

Being involved in an organization is a huge way to make new friends — you get to meet students with similar interests that you may not have crossed paths with otherwise, and the organizations tend to be tight-knit families that you get plopped into and welcomed with open arms.

While all these tools are great for making friends and will help you get exposed to a wide range of communities, the most important thing is to be confident in who you are. You’re here at Binghamton for a reason, and while it might be difficult adjusting to the new environment, remember to stay true to who you are and embrace the uncertainty of your new college life. Before you know it, the years will fly by.