Like many new Booth students, I arrived in Chicago having left many friends and a partner in another city. I worried about how quickly I would make new friends in a school environment. I was surprised by just how quickly the bonding began.
Before and during orientation, most socializing happened in large, pre-determined groups. I bonded with people in my LEAD cohort (go Nobels!) and my Random Walk. So, prior to even starting classes, I knew a handful of people very well. When classes started, I spent more time with study group members and people who were also recruiting for marketing internships. Marketing group socializing happened in formal interview-prep settings, but most of our time together was informal and alleviated the stress of recruiting for internships. I ended up meeting some of my best friends through my cohort, my Random Walk, and the Marketing Group.
Although I still spend time with fellow marketers, I have started spending more time with people based on common non-career interests. Basically, my favorite activities are finding great brunch spots and watching Law & Order, so it wasn’t too hard to find others with similar interests. Most weekends, I meet up with other Boothies for brunch and we plan dinners during the week. You can also find me with fellow Boothies at a Cubs game or a comedy show.
Although I consider my social life fairly low key compared to many of my classmates, one of the great things about Booth is the diversity of interests represented by our student body. Whatever your interests, you are likely to find similar others here either in Booth affinity groups or informally. For example, if you are looking to try out the trendiest bars or clubs, you’re sure to find a group of Boothies happy to join you any night of the week. If you love trivia, you could join our team that dominates at weekly trivia nights. If you like travel, then you would be excited about the number of unofficial Booth trips that are planned throughout the year to places as diverse as Las Vegas and Patagonia.
Booth social life takes many forms. It’s up to you to create your own experience. No matter where you end up, there is guaranteed to be a Boothie right there with you.
