🗣️Hey Parents! Does your teen or young adult have trouble starting conversations?
Check out our latest tips for students to help them start conversations and make new friends! 💬 Make sure to share these with them.
- Use icebreakers: Break the ice with simple questions or comments about shared experiences, such as classes, events, or the surroundings.
- Compliment: Offer a genuine compliment about something you admire or appreciate about the person, whether it’s their style, work, or achievements.
- Ask open-ended questions: Encourage deeper conversation by asking questions that require more than a yes or no answer. For example, “What do you think about…?” or “How was your weekend?”
- Find common interests: Look for shared interests or experiences that you can bond over, such as hobbies, classes, or mutual friends.
- Listen actively: Show genuine interest in what the other person is saying by actively listening and responding thoughtfully. Avoid interrupting and focus on understanding their perspective.
- Share experiences: Share your own experiences, thoughts, and opinions to foster a sense of connection and mutual understanding.
- Use humor: Lighten the mood and break down barriers with humor, but be mindful of the context and the other person’s reactions.
- Initiate small talk: Start with casual topics like the weather, recent events, or pop culture to ease into more meaningful conversation.
- Be approachable: Smile, make eye contact, and use open body language to signal that you’re approachable and interested in engaging with others.
- Practice empathy: Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and show empathy by acknowledging their feelings and experiences with kindness and understanding.
BE PREPARED WITH WHAT TO SAY:
Plan out what kinds of things you want to talk about or how you will approach people BEFORE you enter into social situations. Here are some CONVERSATION STARTERS you can try:
- What do you like to do for fun?
- What sports/activities are you in?
- What kind of music do you like?
College-Specific Conversation Starters
- Where are you from?
- What dorm are you in?
- What’s your major?
- What activities are you involved in?
WHERE TO MEET PEOPLE:
- Join a club
- Volunteer
- Get a job
- Form a study group
- Go to events at school
- Go to the gym
College-Specific Places to Meet People
- Ask roommate to do things
- Ask RA to create events
- Check the Meet Up app for local events
- Study in public places to have the opportunity to meet more people
BONUS TIPS:
- If you are connecting with someone ask them if they want to hang out sometime and get their contact info.
- Be afraid and do it anyway. The scenario is always worse in your thoughts than IRL.
- You have the power to make someone else feel happy!
- Put the focus on others and be curious with your questions!
- Think about this…if someone talked to you, how would it make you feel?
By incorporating these tips into their interactions, students can start conversations more confidently and build connections with their peers. Want to help your student more? Here’s another blog where we share tips on how we can help as parents boost our kids’ social skills.
