Making friends at MIT

MIT is not famous for being social, but it is actually one of the easiest places to make friends in Boston. The reason is that people here are passionate about specific things, and the campus is built for collaboration. The challenge is that social life does not look like a typical college party scene. It looks like late nights in the same lab, weekend projects, and living group dinners. ## Start with your living group The dorm and living group system is the heart of MIT social life. Whether you are in a dorm, a fraternity or sorority, an independent living group, or the grad dorms, your floor or house is your starting point. Go to the house events, even if they feel awkward. The people who skip them in September often regret it by November. ## Build around projects and makerspaces MIT friendships are often built around shared work. The Media Lab, the Stata Center, the makerspaces, and the project-based classes are natural places to meet people. Find a project you care about and spend time where people are working on similar things. The best conversations happen at 11 p.m. while debugging something. ## Use the Cambridge advantage MIT is on the Charles River, next to Boston and Harvard. The Central Square and Kendall Square areas are full of coffee shops, bookstores, and restaurants. A weekly study routine at one café or a regular walk along the river can expand your social circle beyond campus. ## Find your people through clubs and activities MIT has hundreds of clubs, from the competitive to the deeply nerdy. The key is to find one where the people are friendly and the activity is weekly. Student theater, music groups, dance troupes, and the Association of Student Activities events are all strong social anchors. Do not try to join everything. One club you attend every week is better than five clubs you attend once. ## Your first month plan - **Week 1:** Meet the people on your floor or in your living group. Learn their names and schedules. - **Week 2:** Attend two club or project meetings. Pick one that feels like home. - **Week 3:** Join a regular study group or start one for a class. This is where many MIT friendships form. - **Week 4:** Organize an off-campus activity with two or three people: a meal in Central Square, a walk along the river, or a museum visit. ## Common questions - **Do people at MIT have social lives?** Yes, but they are usually interest-based and low-key. - **What if I am not technical?** There are communities around arts, music, sports, and social issues at MIT too. Find the student groups that match your interests. - **What is the best way to meet a study group?** Post in the class Slack, Discord, or Piazza. Ask a question after class. Most people want a study group. - **Is MIT lonely?** It can be, especially if you work alone all the time. The fix is to put yourself in shared spaces, even if you are just working next to people. - **What about graduate students?** Grad social life is more department-based and less dorm-centered. Department events, lab groups, and the MIT Graduate Student Council are the main entry points.