Sydney Life

I've just returned home from a really bad date. That's the second date to add to my list of "Worst Dates Ever"...

It started with him being one hour late, because he got lost. And being a stubborn male, the street directory sitting on the dashboard of his car was typically out of the question. I spent 20 minutes on the phone giving him street directions.

Date Started: 8:16pm (1 hr and 16 mins late).
Date Ended: 9:42pm; after a useful rescue call from my best friend. (I swear that was the first time I've ever had to resort to that trick, but it's definitely a handy one to keep in the book).
Rating: With a total of 86 minutes of date time, missing Dancing With The Stars and 20 minutes less credit on my phone, let me tell you, no brownie points here.

That is the worst date I've ever been on. Even worse than a date I had in 2003, which lasted about two hours and left me thinking I would rather listen to a speech by the Hon Fred Nile MLC. In fact, I did leave that date to go and see Fred speak on the Age of Consent debate at NSW Parliament House. I hate to admit, but even Fred was more interesting...

Like dating, making friends at uni can be a bit of a hit-and-miss. After coming from a relatively small social circle at high school, where you see everyone everyday and are forced to get along, uni can seem very isolating. It's big. There are lots of different kinds of people. And you quickly learn that the only people that approach to talk to you are wearing EU t-shirts.

Well what are you waiting for!? Uni is the best opportunity you have to meet other like-minded types, who are interested in what you're interested in. Better still, uni is an excellent place to engage with people you wouldn't necessarily get the chance to meet in other areas of your life, who might not be so "like-minded" but rather offer you a different view of the world. For the first time in your life you're put in a situation where you get to choose who you hang out with, see everyday and enjoy the company of. You can also be confident that there are a greater proportion of moderately intelligent people per square metre than most other areas of Sydney.

Making friends can be daunting, but here are some tips that you can't go wrong with:

1. Say "hello" to the person next to you in your lecture and tute. Introduce yourself and what you study.

2. Join a club or society. Let's face it kiddos, C&S are the life-blood of your uni experience. They are an easy way to find others with similar interests and passions. Whether it’s religion, culture, the arts, sport or drinking... there's a club and society for it.

3. Volunteer with the University of Sydney Union (USU). Not only will you gain some amazing experience and an impressive addition to your resume but from my experience, volunteering with USU is a fantastic way of meeting great, enthusiastic people who are committed to making the student experience a rounded and full one. As a student convenor last year, I was responsible for organising some large social and welfare events for queer students. As well as giving me the opportunity to engage in important human rights issues, I helped to make a difference on campus by organising a space that allowed a disadvantaged group to express its voice and culture. More information is available on the USU website about the wide and varied volunteer opportunities available: http://www.usuonline.com.

4. Engage in your studies. Speak up in your tutorials; make comments and give your (informed) opinions on the week's readings. Everyone quickly gets to know the person that speaks up in tutes. Don't be afraid; you're at uni to learn.

5. Find support. For some students, you may feel you would like some support from other like-minded and similarly-identifying people who share your background and experiences. There are additional avenues for similarly-identifying students to interact with each other in designated programs and spaces. Koori students, women students, queer students, international students, religious students and students living with disabilities are well catered for at Sydney Uni. For example, there is the Woman's Room on Ground Floor of Manning House, and the Queer Space in the Basement of Holme Building, which provide safe places for women and queer students to socialise, study and find resources. Muslim students will find a prayer room in the Old Teacher's College, and most faiths have representatives you can talk to via the Chaplaincy Service. To find out more, do a quick search on the USU website and the USYD websites: http://www.usuonline.com and http://www.usyd.edu.au.