Think Forward | Building my community

This is the exact content found in the ‘What defines the UVic community?” activity within the Pre-Arrival Program.

Icon of three people connected in a circle

One of the hardest parts of starting a new phase of your life is often the impact it can have on your personal relationships. All of the sudden you are meeting new people and making new friends, while simultaneously trying to figure out how to stay in touch with your old friends and maintain your relationships with your family.

Current UVic students have lots of strategies they use to build and maintain their relationships with friends and family. Take a scroll through our Instagram feed to read some of their stories before identifying a few strategies you might want to try out.

Photograph of an Instagram post with an image and text. The post is authored by Benny, and was posted 20 minutes ago. The post has three likes and one comment. The photograph is of four smiling students standing in a pumpkin patch. Two of the students are holding pumpkins. The text below the photograph reads: Spent the afternoon picking pumpkins with some friends from back home. Knowing I'll be moving back home when I finish my degree at UVic makes keeping these friendships alive all the more important. Thanks Facebook, Discord and video games for your help!

Photograph of an Instagram post with an image and text. The post is authored by Lilian, and was posted 4 hours ago. The post has seven likes and one comment. The photograph shows three people lying on their stomachs, heads supported. They are lying outside on the grass. There are trees behind them. The people are smiling. The text below the photograph reads: We met in Psyc 201 where we often asked each other questions about the material and studied together for exams. Since we were all Psychology majors, it was easy to form the friendship from our common interest in psychology. After hanging out outside of class throughout the semester, the rest was history!

Photograph of an Instagram post with an image and text. The post is authored by Alyssa, and was posted 23 hours ago.The post has 28 likes and 1 comment. The photograph is of Alyssa and her mom. They are smiling and their heads are close together, photographed from the shoulders up. The text below the photograph reads: My mom has been a huge source of support for me while at UVic. The times that were really stressful for me in first year were also the times that I communicated the least with my family about how school was 'actually' going (grinning face with sweat emoji). Saying more than just 'school is good' when we talked helped me work through stressful times (shocker right?)

Photograph of an Instagram post with an image and text. The post is authored by Jada, and was posted on one day ago. The post has 17 likes and three comments. The photograph shows two students in an outdoor setting. They are sitting on large rocks beside a river. They are both smiling. The text below the photograph reads: When I met Katherine, a fellow transfer student, at @universityofvictoria's January orientation event, I never thought that making that first friend would lead to me meeting the rest of my close friends…but here we are! #uvicfriendship #bestfriends #friendgoals

Photograph of an Instagram post with an image and text. The post is authored by Venus, and was posted one day ago. The post has 21 likes and three comments. The photograph shows 8 people sitting at a table in a restaurant. They have drinks and food in front of them. They are all looking at the camera and smiling. The text below the photograph reads: Whether we met through our academic program, different Uvic clubs, or at church, we’re friends because of our common interests and willingness to share and listen to each others experiences. I have widened my horizons while learning from my friends and I have had so many opportunities to attend different events, especially after I joined the Hong Kong Student Association. I couldn’t imagine my UVic experience without these folks. #UVic #internationalstudent #HKSA #studyabroad #Victoria #Canada

Photograph of an Instagram post with an image and text. The post is authored by Cassidy, and was posted 2 days ago. The post has 32 likes and two comments. The photograph shows 4 people in a video chat, all smiling and waving. The text below the photograph reads: Skype Sunday with these busy bees (bee emoji). Even though my hometown friends and I are scattered across North America for school, we set time aside every Sunday to catch up and stay connected. Distance is no match for my love for these gals (double heart emoji).

Photograph of an Instagram post with an image and text. The post is authored by Camellia, and was posted three days ago. The post has 10 likes. The photograph shows 8 smiling students, three wearing UVic sweatshirts. The text below the photograph reads: My family and I have a family group chat where we share pictures, updates and greet each other on special holidays. Sometimes I feel like they know my friends, even though they've never met, because I share so many stories and pictures! (sparkle emoji)

Photograph of an Instagram post with an image and text. The post is authored by Alyssa, and was posted three days ago. The post has 34 likes and 2 comments. The photograph is of four smiling students with UVic colour paint on their faces. The text below the photograph reads: In first year, I tried to maintain all my friendships from high school, because I was scared of us growing apart. Flash forward 4 years, and I've realized that it's ok for relationships to change, and that sometimes growing apart isn't necessarily a bad thing. I appreciate what that relationship meant to me at the time, and just because we aren't as close doesn't mean it wasn't worth it!! #thankshomies

Poll

Making new friends doesn’t often happen without a little bit of effort and it’s likely that effort will also be required to maintain your relationships with your family and existing friends.

What are three strategies you think would be useful for you as you try to meet new people at UVic and maintain your connections with your existing friends and family?

  • Leave your residence room door open
  • Join a UVic club
  • Attend UVic’s arrival programming
  • Start a conversation with a classmate
  • Create a study group
  • Set a regular time to talk to your family
  • Create a family group chat
  • Skype with your friends at home
  • Create messaging groups with friends
  • Meet with your friends for a meal when you are home

>> Return to the overview of the Transition to UVic topic