4 Tips to make Lifelong Friends on the Brown Shuttle
Now that the semester has settled in, you might find that some of your current friends might have rough schedules or that their free time just doesn’t line up with yours. Well, this is of no issue, because you can always make new friends here at Brown, and I’ve come up with a list of tips for you to utilize one of the universities best social facilities—the Brown shuttle! After using the shuttle extensively for the first couple weeks of school, I have pinpointed what works and what doesn’t work to make the other transportees fond of you and wanna be your besties!
- Approach them directly
If there’s one thing that people love, it’s when someone exemplifies superb outgoingness. That is, when they’re sitting on semi-public transportation and a total stranger confidently sits down right next to them and starts chatting. Are they wearing headphones and looking out the window while listening to something? That means that they’re really deep, and probably would love to have a conversation with you! Bonus Tip Ask them what they’re listening to, and quickly figure out their favorite artist so you can have an engaging conversation about anything controversial that said artist has ever said or done!
- Firm handshake
If there’s a chance to introduce yourself, make sure to establish comfortable sweaty-hand physical contact, because putting them in the awkward position of having to make one of those close-range-cramped-bus handshakes will give them a special experience to make them remember you. If you remember nothing else, remember that no one respects a weak or loose handshake, so shake firm and shake long, all the while making very intimate eye contact.
- Figure out when they ride
If you really want to befriend someone, you need to ride next to them more than just once. That’s why you need to ask them where they’re going, what time they ride during the week, where they live so you can meet them at their pick up stop for the shuttle. If you run out of time to talk to them on your first trip together, just wait at whatever stop they get off until they get back on the shuttle, they’ll find your commitment to this new friendship wonderfully endearing.
- Compare and share numbers!
If there’s one thing we students love talking about it’s our digits. Obviously, ask right away for their phone number so you can contact them outside of the shuttle. Make sure to discuss their SAT scores, and make it a big deal to tell them yours if you scored any higher, just so they know they can go to you for tutoring in those subjects. Also, ask them about any credit or debit cards they might have, you could just possibly have the same bank!Images via and via
