New Semester, New Friends

By Katlyn Kritz

Jambar Contributor

Feeling alone during the first month of class? From social media to campus organizations, making friends at Youngstown State University has never been easier.

Jonathan Wlodarski, a Spanish graduate student, said one way to find friends is by talking to people in your classes who share common interests.

“My experience is make friends with someone the first two or three days of class,” Wlodarski said.

After meeting someone in a class, there are plenty of social media outlets to transition that relationship into something outside of class. Facebook and Twitter are two common places to interact with fellow students.

Dan Kopycinski, a junior actuarial science major, said he is involved in several clubs and activities, which have introduced him to new people.

“I didn’t know a single person when I came here,” Kopycinski said.

He said he currently has many friends. Kopycinsk and others were surprised by how many friends they’ve made since starting college.

Colin Rody, a senior technology major, said he cannot count how many friends he has made at YSU.

“It’s mixed. It’s people who I went to high school with, and obviously mostly people who I’ve met,” Rody said.

YSU also has a new game room in the Kilcawley Center Annex that’s open for students.

Taja Thompson, a sophomore dietetics major, works in the game room. She said it is often filled with students enjoying their break, giving new students the opportunity to be social.

Thompson said students should get involved with their major or get a job and new jobs and organizations open up each semester.

Jordan Fain, a junior biology major, said she is involved in racquetball club and met a lot of good friends there.

“I have a lot of friends in class that I form study groups with, but also clubs with friends that aren’t just going to study with me, but actually talk to me,” Fain said.

Rachel Hart, a junior mechanical engineering major, said those that live on campus make friends in dorms

“If you live off campus it’s a lot harder to meet people,” she said.

For more information about YSU’s many organizations, visit https://ysu-community.symplicity.com.