Making friends at uni is so much easier than you think. Before you even arrive on campus you’ll have the chance to chat with students who are already here, and you’ll be able to meet your new course mates way before your first lecture.

Chat to students now

Got questions about what it’s like to study on your course? Want to speak to someone living in uni accommodation or want to know more about student and campus life?

You can chat with our students right now online and get your questions answered!

See what Uni life is like via social media

Get an insight into what uni life is really like by watching our weekly student vlogs on YouTube and story takeovers on Instagram.

YouTube

Our students are ready to share their advice and experience based on their time at uni so far. Leave a comment on the videos and our vloggers will be ready to chat to you.

Watch the vlog playlist now:

Instagram

Students are always taking over the Instagram stories, so follow our Instagram @CanterburyCCUni to hear from them.

Meet people before you arrive on campus

Once you’ve applied, you’ll get an invite to join the exclusive Facebook group for new students. This opens in summer and is run by a team of current students. Staff reps also host Q&A sessions on topics like accommodation, student support and the Students' Union.

Joining the group gives you the chance to find other students like you:

  • Find friends who share your interests
  • Meet people who are starting the same course 
  • Discover housemates in the same accommodation
  • Find students who come from the same area as you

If you’re worried about being a mature student, you needn’t be! The average age of our students is 27, so the group is the perfect place to connect with people the same age as you. If you’re a parent, you can also find many students who are balancing University and childcare, too.

I live off campus during term time and the posts keep me connected and well informed. It was a great way to link with others on the same course before I started.

SandraTheology

Speak to the Students’ Union

The Students' Union Leadership Team is your first point of contact into the Students’ Union. If you want to find out how you can get involved with the union, the projects and campaigns that they run, they’ll be more than happy to chat to you.   

Visit the Students’ Union website for full details.

Be supported by a peer mentor

Once you’ve accepted an offer to study with us, you can ask to have a current student mentor, someone who can guide and support you through your first months at uni. Student mentors are an important link to the uni especially if you’re not studying on campus or if you’re often away on placements.

I love the role as Peer Mentor as I like to think that I've got expertise in making people happy! The notion of making somebody do what they couldn't do, or what they thought was beyond them, to me is something that really gives me joy!

SelinaPublic Health student and peer mentor

Make new friends in your new home

If you’re moving away from home for the first time and are worried about living on your own, our students will be there for you! Once you arrive in your new home, you’ll be welcomed by a current 2nd or 3rd year student, known as an accommodation champion, who lives in your university accommodation.  

They'll be there for you all year round, helping you settle into uni life and providing practical support along the way.

Current student Marta shares her tips for anyone worried about feeling homesick while at uni, watch now: 

Plus, so many more ways to make friends!

Once you’ve arrived at uni, you’ll have so many more opportunities to make loads of new friends. You’ll meet new people through your course, your accommodation or commute, through clubs, societies and events, friends of friends... the list goes on. 

Given the exceptional circumstances we're living through at the moment, how to make friends during a pandemic is at the forefront of everyone’s minds. But even though physical events may happen less frequently, there's still lots of opportunities to make friends. Current student Ena wrote this blog post sharing alternative ways to broaden your social circles

By the time you finish university, you’ll have made your best friends for life!