The shy girl’s

to

of conversation starters

usq.edu.au

Accessorise!We all have that statement piece of

jewellery that everyone comments on. Wear it with confidence and when

someone approaches you to tell you how cool it is, start a conversation about where you bought it, how

amazing online shopping is or even the colours that are in this season.

If you’re not into fashion, wear a button showing your interest in a TV show, movie or cause you are

passionate about.

Be yourselfYou’re amazing. You don’t have to be anyone other than yourself for people to want to hang out with you. You will attract like-minded uni friends with similar interests.

ComplimentEveryone loves a compliment and when you find someone with a mutual love for shoes and cute summer dresses, you will find a good friend for life. If

you see someone in a flattering pair of jeans, tell them! You might even hear about a sale you didn’t know about.

Do I know you?If you’ve seen someone around, an

excellent opener is to ask them about previous, albeit brief, interactions. ‘I

think we’re in CMS1000 together, what do you think of it so far?’ or ‘I think we used to catch the same bus, what are

you studying?’

Eat inWhether you bring your lunch or

buy it, eat it on-campus. Ask to sit with the people you met in class,

or approach a new group of friends who are having a good time. There’s

always someone to sit and start a conversation with over sandwiches

and cake. Everyone loves cake.

Fall overIf you fall over or drop your

books, do it in style! Either Prince Charming will scoop you up and help you back on your feet, or

you’ll have a pretty amazing first meeting story for your new BFF.

Give people a chance

Step out of your comfort zone and say ‘Hi’ to someone you would

never have approached before. Everyone will be just as nervous as you and our nerves can sometimes

make us feel not at our best.

HumourNothing breaks the ice faster than

saying something funny. Okay, telling a joke is easier said than

done and they can be tricky, but it’s an excellent way to show your fun, witty personality. Whatever you do in life, always give 100%, unless

you’re donating blood… <insert laughter>

Invest timeDon’t be in such a hurry that you miss out on talking to that cool chick with

the pixie haircut and Doc Martens. Walk over and say hi. If you hit it off

and you have to get to the next class, invite her back for lunch and spend

time getting to know her. Relationships take work and uni friendships are no different, take the time to invest in

other relationships.

Join us on social media

We encourage all of our students to get involved in the conversation online and we have started many a ‘gal-mance’ over shared geographic

locations and love of cat memes. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram, Pinterest, Spotify, YouTube, Google+ and Wordpress for exclusive competitions, tips to get you through long study sessions and funny insights

into student life.

Keep up withthe Kardashians/

Bachelorette/Master Chef/Home & Away

Trashy TV is an excellent talking point. We all love to hate the characters on

these shows and friendships are forged over our disgust for who didn’t get a

rose, who cooked something delicious or who said something out of line. If it’s

trending, try to watch one episode so you know what’s going on and can join into some of those trash-tastic conversations.

Lectures/tutorials/

workshopsLook left and look right. Beside you

are two people with the same passion about teaching, nursing or engineering

that you have. Go a little bit early to your classes and spend some time

chatting to your classmates. When it comes time to pack up and head to the next class, keep the conversation going and you may just find yourself on the

receiving end of a lunch date.

MoviesMore than one new ‘gal-mance’ has been forged over a mutual love of

Mean Girls, The Notebook, The Great Gatsby or even Anchorman. ‘Do you

even go to this school?’ ‘LOUD NOISES’ or ‘No one puts Baby in the corner’ are perfectly appropriate comments to make and when you both stop laughing and exclaim ‘I love that

movie!’ you’ve found a friend for the next few years of your studies.

NostalgiaAs soon as you finish school or are old enough to realise how

uncool the Spice Girls are, you can reminisce with your new study

friends about life before you started studying. Be careful not to include too much about how you used to

drive an ‘81 Corolla and not so secretly loved the Backstreet Boys at full volume with the windows

down. There’s a fine line between nostalgia and being a dork.

Open yourself up

Don’t be embarrassed to open up about your experiences and what made you decide to study. You can guarantee

that your love of family, fashion or even scrapbooking will be shared by others. Your lecturer will give you the opportunity to share insight into your personality and icebreakers to get you comfortable joining in, so make the

most of it!

Prepare with a few one-liners

On the way to uni, think about a few one liners you can use to get the

conversation going. ‘Have you got your textbooks yet?’ ‘I can’t believe uni’s already started!’ ‘How quickly

did the break go?!’

QuestionWhen all else fails, approach

someone and ask them a question. Most people are always great about giving you the time or pointing you in the right direction.

Refrain from asking too many questions, people may wonder if

you’re in the secret service.

RestaurantsWho doesn’t like food or sharing their

culinary insights of the go-to food places on-campus?! Share your foodie

knowledge, nothing is better than a BFF with a shared love of sushi or

gourmet sandwiches.

Sit by yourselfDon’t be scared to sit by yourself. If you’re not comfortable walking up

to people, chances are there will be a social butterfly (extrovert) not too far away who will ask you to join their table or just come and sit with you.

If you are going to try this tactic, make sure you sit ‘in public’ rather than

hiding in the toilets on your breaks!

Try something new

Friday afternoon drinks and cheese at your new friend’s house? Count me in! Put yourself out there

and do something you’ve never done before. You never know who

you’ll meet.

Uni discountsOn a tight budget, but still want

to meet people? Make the most of your student card by asking some of your new friends to a movie on cheap Tuesday or share a pizza on

cheap Monday. Your student card is your gateway to bargains and some

fun experiences.

Vending machines

The person in front of you has popped in their cash and they’ve got the holy grail of drinks, an ice cold, refreshing coke. Now is the perfect time to share that you also can’t function without

the invigorating effervescence of black gold (this post was not proudly

supported by Coca-Cola).

Where can I get coffee?

Coffee lovers unite! The coffee line is an incredible place to meet people

and you have one huge thing in common – you can’t function without that first cup of hot,

smooth coffee… <insert drool>

X-treme weather

Be the ultimate Girl Guide and help a sister out when it rains by sharing your umbrella. I can almost guarantee you will get a coffee date as she thanks you for saving her wool trenchcoat

from the downpour.

YodellodelingWe’ve all got a mad skill that will get others talking. Whether it’s touching

your nose with your tongue, yodelling or that you can speak five languages,

share the things that make you unique.

Z Block is which way?

Nothing gets a friendship going faster than sharing a walk to your next class. Ask the person next to

you if they’re headed to Z Block and share a walk with them.

CRICOS: QLD00244B NSW02225M TEQSA: PRV12081

Found some of these tips helpful? Share your

experience with us online.

You’ve got the conversation

starters, now you just need to put

them into practice!