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A Sociologist's Six Essential Tips for College Friendships
With loneliness widespread among young adults, professorJanice McCabe shares research-backed strategies for building meaningful connections.
Students are often told their college years will be the best of their lives—yet for many, they're the loneliest.
Nearly half of U.S. college students report feeling lonely, according to the 2024 American College Health Association survey. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness a public health "epidemic"—with young adults among the hardest hit.
The crisis makes the work of Janice McCabe—a sociologist and longtime Dartmouth house professor—more urgent than ever. McCabe has spent years studying how friendships form, falter, and flourish on campus, while mentoring students in residential communities. Her 2016 book, Connecting in College, revealed how friendships can both help and hinder student success.
Her new book, Making, Keeping, and Losing Friends: How Campuses Shape College Students' Networks, translates years of research into practical strategies for forging meaningful connections—with actionable takeaways for students, parents, and colleges. Here are six research-backed ways students can build lasting friendships.