At Carthage, the next four years offer the potential to turn all of the new faces you see into new friendships. So how exactly do you make those lifelong friends everybody’s always talking about? Here are some tips from Carthage students and alumni:
1. Room with somebody you don’t know.
“I met my roommate on the Carthage Facebook page for new students and we decided to live together. We had the same living habits and interests so we thought we would give it a try, and it turned out to be the best thing possible. We are now best friends and do everything together, which has really helped the transition into college. I would advise rooming with someone you do not already know. It will give you a chance to experience someone new and go out of your comfort zone.” — Bryanna Horn ’18
2. Go to the Involvement Fair.
Carthage holds an Involvement Fair at the start of the fall and spring semesters. Want to meet people? Go to the Involvement Fair. “As the year has gone on, I’ve gone from having a small group of four friends to a small army of 20 that I see every day. I was very nervous about how I would find any friends when I came to Carthage, but it just sort of happened. I met one of my best friends at the Involvement Fair, and while there, I heard about Wave Radio, met more people at the first meeting, and things snowballed from there. Not only did the Involvement Fair allow me to meet new people, but it also allowed me to explore my interests.” — John Archer ’18
3. Get to know people in your classes.
“I made a lot of friends through clubs, but I actually made my best friends in my classes. After working on a group project with kids in my Spanish class, we decided to get lunch one day and now we hang out all the time. That is one great thing about having small class sizes. It’s very easy to make lasting friendships.” — Samantha Johnson ’18
4. Join Residence Life Council.
Residence Life Council is a group that works to improve campus life at Carthage. RLC members work with residence hall directors to organize campus activities. Members often end up in leadership roles by their sophomore and junior years, becoming resident assistants (RAs) or assistant hall directors (AHDs). “The most important part of my job as a resident assistant (RA) is to make my residents feel comfortable. Most students have never lived away from home before college, so, as an RA, I help them with the transition to independence and build community to enhance their college experience.” — Jack Grossman ’21
5. Go to CAB events.
The Carthage Activities Board, or CAB, hosts a ton of events on campus every month, bringing in musicians, hypnotists, and comedians, and hosting other activities like movies and themed bingo, a Carthage tradition. “Last year, students were given the opportunity to go to a Milwaukee Bucks game for $5 with transportation included. A bunch of my friends went, and we had a ton of fun. CAB does a great job of putting on events like this that students actually want to go to, so this is one of my favorite memories from the past year.” — David Budzisz ’23
6. Join a club on campus.
“Whenever I heard of an opportunity to get involved with an organization, I accepted to make friends and help out the Carthage community. Getting involved in different clubs is very important because, through them, you begin to feel comfortable with the people around you and the campus. I got involved with Pep Band, which was my favorite part about freshman year. Being able to attend sporting events at Carthage is so much fun!” — Graham Westley ’18
7. Keep in touch with peers you meet during Orientation.
“I made a lot of friends Orientation Weekend, just by introducing myself to people. Everyone was looking to make friends, and it didn’t take long. You meet people through other people.” — Ashley Cross ’18
8. Talk to people in your residence hall.
“Some of my favorite Carthage moments come from being on the soccer team and living with all of my friends on the fourth floor of Denhart Hall.” — Logan Dolehide ’19
9. Go on a J-Term study tour.
“The greatest opportunity I have had so far has been my international business J-Term study tour to Sweden this past January. We gained great insights from about eight different companies that we visited, meeting their CEOs and presidents, and learning what it takes to have their kind of success. I highly recommend this trip for any major, but the business aspect is truly incredible.” — Chelsea Niemuth ’18
10. Join Greek Life.
Carthage is home to 13 local and nationally affiliated sororities and fraternities, and they recruit new members every fall and spring. Recruitment is open to students who are second-semester freshmen or above, and meet GPA requirements. “I am in Alpha Chi Omega and also serve on e-board as our New Member Educator! My sorority has been one of the most amazing experiences and has brought me so many of my life-long friends! I have made amazing memories that will last a lifetime and have also grown as a person and as a leader.” — Allyssa Vargas ’22
11. Get an on-campus job.
“Something that helped me meet people right away was getting an on-campus job. I work in the Dean of Students Office, which helped me to meet many people and work with other students.” — Bryanna Horn ’18
12. Dare to reach out.
“Meeting new people and living on campus has really made my life a lot more fun and interesting. There are so many chances to reach out and make friends on campus, that it was awesome to be able to meet such amazing new people.” — Alex Rogers ’21
