University is a great place for making friends and building connections but balancing university, work, and other commitments can sometimes make it tricky to find the right people.
iQ Student Accommodation, who provide purpose-built student accommodation across the UK, know all too well that feeling lonely at university can be a real challenge for students. In fact, their research with Relate, the UK’s largest relationship charity, shows that 74% of students saw building meaningful friendships and relationships as the biggest challenge when starting out at university.
On top of giving students a great place to live during their study years, iQ aims to give residents their best year yet by running social clubs to connect over common interests, hosting events, and giving them the social spaces, events, and communities to facilitate connections with the people around them.
To help students network with each other, the team at iQ has put together a list of helpful apps to help them make better connections during their time at university, even from the comfort of you’re their own room. The apps were chosen based on positive reviews and the overall interactivity they provide for students with different interests.
Eventbrite
Finding things to do with new friends at university can be tricky, especially when you’re on a budget. Eventbrite is an independent app that helps users to create and attend local events that are often reasonably priced – or free to attend altogether. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people and feel like part of a community. There’s something for every personality type – with everything from art exhibits and concerts to motivational talks and games nights, all available at the click of a button.
Meetup
Meetup is another app that’s ideal for putting yourself out there, hosting a mix of virtual and in-person events you can attend to meet other people with similar interests. The app is praised for offering events for people with even very specific interests – just enter your location and browse nearby events by type. Meetup is also a great way to explore something new, learn a new skill and get creative with other people looking to connect.
The app allows you to create your own group and organise meet-ups – you can personalise your event, share photos and start conversations before your event even takes place.
BumbleBFF
Created off the back of the popular dating app, BumbleBFF promises to help build connections with others on a platonic level. Potential matches are based on your activities and interests, so be sure to fill out your profile honestly and with this in mind. Whether you’re someone that likes to brunch or you’re interested in going to local comedy nights, this is a great way to find people to share new experiences with. All from a single swipe, you can meet people similar people in the same proximity as you and build out your network at university.
Unidays
Is a spot of shopping what your social life needs at the moment? Maybe you want to do something good and host a pizza party for your new flatmates? Do more with less with Unidays.
Unidays is one of the most popular student apps for saving money, offering discounts on some of the UK’s largest brands across beauty, fashion, electronics and lifestyle. There are huge discounts to be had on favourite student eats, too, with regular discounts available on Deliveroo, Domino’s and food delivery services such as HelloFresh. Invite other students over to cook and eat with you, or head out for some discount shopping and grab a change of scenery.
Bark Happy
For pet-obsessed students, BarkHappy is the perfect friendship platform designed for dog-lovers and owners to stay connected, even if your fave pooch is far away at home. It allows users to link up with people who share the same passion for their furry friends in a fun, social way. Find local dog-friendly places and pet friendly lodges Scotland, attend dog-friendly events, and create your best social life revolving around our four-legged pals.
