I need some advice. I am usually posting questions that relate to my deeper self and how I feel. However, the advice I am asking for this time is pretty simple. I just feel a little bit confused about a situation.

First, it is the 4th week of college and I do have friends. I know many people and I say hi to them and talk with them… but I am not close with anybody yet. Everyone around me is so close with each other… while I am not. I can explain why… it is because I have gone home every weekend to see my boyfriend (his college is only an hour away). While it is so nice that I get to see him every weekend, I think it is the reason that I feel a little bit out of the loop. All the people who I am friends with (mostly acquainted with) go out on weekends and hang out. They go out to restaurants, study, and party together. I have been missing out on this crucial step in creating connections with these people.

Since I have realized this, I have decided that I am going to stay for the weekend this time. I think that will help solve this one problem. I have even talked with a lot of the people who I am friends with and have informed them that I am staying this weekend and that we should go out! I think I will be going out with some of my friends on Friday.

But that is not really the problem. The main thing that I am confused about is my roommate. I feel like I was kinda cheated out of having a roommate that I really like. Everyone around me has roommates that they requested (and knew beforehand) or if they went with random assignment then their roommates are at least fun and they hang out together. This one girl and I actually requested each other, but for some reason my school doesn’t guarantee that you will get the person you request. I assume it’s because each residence building is assigned to a different school (for example, my dorm building is for arts and sciences students while another dorm building is for engineer students). So, I was given a random roommate. I like her, she is nice… but I don’t really enjoy hanging out with her. I mean she is cool one on one…. but she is friends with these people that I just can’t relate to. It’s also awkward that she is so close with all these other people who I can’t really understand/relate to (in my opinion they are a little weird… although I am not trying to be judgmental… they just don’t really think the way that I do). I have hung out with my roommate and all her friends and I just feel weird/out of place/awkward. I think they understand this too so that is why they don’t add me to their groupchat and stuff. But I am friends with some of them… I like them all and I think they like me but it doesn’t take a genius to know that I am different from them. They have weird senses of humor and I think anybody in my situation would feel as I do. So while everyone has their roommate/buddy… I am alone. So it is harder for me to find my group of friends.

So.. the advice that I am asking for is.. how exactly should I go about making connections with people? Any tips? How can I get out of my comfort zone and be less shy? How can I integrate myself with a group of friends that I like?