Dear Leah and Morgan,

I’m starting my sophomore year this year, and I’m a little worried about something, and wanted to know if you could help. Last year, I had a really close group of friends on my hall, but I was really focused on my schoolwork and didn’t branch out very much.

This year, all of my old friends are living in Hassenfeld near each other, but I had a crappy housing number and I’m in a single in Massell. I don’t want to lose touch with my old friends, but it seems pretty much inevitable. How can I make new friends now that everyone has already settled into their groups of friends?

Sincerely,

Secretly Scared Sophomore

Dear Secretly Scared,

First of all, it’s not inevitable that you and your old friends will lose touch! If you want to let those friendships dissolve, it will be easy, but don’t forget they’re only a phone call away. Dinner dates and study sessions in the library are great options, because everyone needs to eat and study! All you need to do is give one of them a call, see what they’re up to for dinner and suggest meeting up. Trust us, they’ll appreciate that they don’t have to make their own plans! Going out Saturday night? Suggest hitting up the same event … oh, and how convenient would it be if you ate dinner together first?

Turning over a new leaf

In terms of making new friends, Brandeis has done a lot of the work for you! The Activities Fair isn’t just for first-years. You can hit it up at the Great Lawn on Monday at 1 p.m. and learn all about the cool clubs and student groups on campus. Getting more involved is the best way to meet people with similar interests, including a lot of first-years who haven’t settled into groups yet.

Beginning to get involved

When you’re deciding what to become involved in, keep an open mind and think about it for a few minutes before you go. Do you want to stick with the kinds of activities you were involved with in high school or do you want to try something completely new? Do you have a hidden talent that’s never gotten a chance to express itself? Do you wish you were more athletic, artsy or a better dancer? Are you looking to explore your religious or cultural identity? They say there’s a club for everyone at Brandeis and we fully believe that!

Other ways to get involved

If you can’t make it to the Activities Fair, you can check out the Brandeis Club Center (my.brandeis.edu/clubs) to see if anything piques your interest. Each club has its own page with contact information and meeting times. You can also browse Facebook and Twitter (and, of course, the pages of The Brandeis Hoot) to look for events and student groups.

Best of luck settling in, keeping your grades up, and seeing old friends and making new ones!

Peace, Love and Great Advice,

Leah and Morgan

Have questions that you want answered by the lovely ladies of The Hoot? Submit your questions to advice@thebrandeishoot.com or at formspring.me/leahandmorgan! They will be answered by Leah Finkelman ’13, Features Editor, and Morgan Gross ’14, Impressions Editor. We’re so excited to hear your questions!