In recent feedback from students all over the world, the college meetups that are regularly occurring over the semester are not very exciting. While these are usually opportunities for students to provide feedback on their time at college, there is a big opportunity for students and staff to interact and become more familiar with each other. It has also been reported that there are huge benefits in encouraging people to interact with someone new, especially in the college environment where new starters are unlikely to have many existing friends in the area.
This article will be looking at the many ways that you can bring a few elements of fun to the next college meetup, this will not only provide entertainment to those who are feeling down but provides an environment where lifelong friendships can be made. It is not necessarily the case that you need to spend a lot of money in order for visitors to have a good time with you, so there really is no excuse for you not to spruce up the next meeting and make the event something that people will remember.
Socializing
It is common within many college meetups for people to be very wary when it comes to socializing with new people, especially when students first move to college it can be difficult to get used to a new home and the people you live with. This is why there is a real opportunity for you to help put people at ease by providing a relaxing environment where they can interact with new people within.
If you are someone who is due to visit a college meetup in the coming weeks and you are feeling scared about starting a conversation with a stranger then do not worry, many people get very anxious when it comes to starting a new college so you are not alone in this feeling which will make it easier for you also. College is often the first experience of living away from home that students will have so it is important that there is support in place for people feeling homesick or lonely, it can mean a lot for people to be encouraged to go out and do something and this can make all the difference to those with issues in socializing and speaking to new people.
Food and Drink
If you are having trouble convincing people to come to your college meetup event then it could be a good idea to provide some refreshments. This is a great way that you can encourage people to stick around within your event and hopefully help break the tension of any first interactions between strangers. You don’t have to go too far with this and you can usually get away with a few light refreshments to accompany the meeting. It wouldn’t be necessary or cost effective to provide anything more and people are unlikely to want a full meal when attending this kind of meeting.
Music
Another way that you can bring an element of fun to your next college event without having to spend a lot of money to keep people’s interest would have to be by playing some music to cut through any awkward silences. There is also another opportunity here for you to provide a music opportunity to smaller acts in the area. At your next college meetup, you could offer the chance to perform to local acts within the college. This will solve the issue of entertainment at the event and allow you to help out smaller acts who are trying to gain experience in doing live performances.
Games
If you are looking for a way to keep your guests entertained during a college meetup then I would highly recommend that you suggest plating some games or do a quiz to get started. This is another great option for entertaining your guests and you can easily find some of the best music trivia on a variety of different online resources making this very easy to organize with little work involved. Social games like this are also another great opportunity to prevent any awkwardness between new starters at the college.
Feedback From Visitors
While it is very important for you to ensure that everyone is enjoying themselves, you need to keep the main purpose of the event in mind. Most college meetups are in place for students and staff to raise concerns or areas for improvement within the college. With this in mind, you should make sure that any fun elements that you include do not overshadow the event’s fundamental purpose. You also need to make sure that everyone gets the opportunity to speak at the event so it could be a good idea for you to provide feedback sheets of some kind.