How to Make Friends When You're New
Timothy Rodman, CPMM • July 26, 2023
We’ve all been there. Being the new kid or even working the first day at a new job. While it may seem like everyone else is on Season 5 of a TV show and you’re a new character, here are a few ways to help you quickly adapt and appeal to everyone’s good nature.
Five ways to make friends when you’re new:
- Be kind. Kindness is never short in demand. A little bit of grace goes a long way, especially from the new person.
- Be receptive. Being new has its challenges. You may receive projects you’re not thrilled about. Receive assignments, asks and feedback well, and be mindful that your coworkers (or classmates) made it this far before you joined them. Always be ready to learn.
- Listen. We all have things we want to say, but for the first few weeks of being new, it’s okay if you’re not leading the conversation. Be present and engaging, but also listen. Listening is a sure-fire way to get to know your colleagues and peers and how they like to communicate.
- Be eager. Along the lines of being receptive, show up enthusiastically for every ask (within reason). This helps show your colleagues and peers that you’re here to help.
- Be present. In the example of starting new at a company, you know the team is going to head out for team lunches as a group. You can’t make a good first impression if you’re keeping to yourself. Get out, explore and learn about your new colleagues.
No one likes being the new kid, but it’s our hope that these hints help lessen this embarrassing time.
September marks National Life Insurance Awareness month and GBU Life is partnering with Optimity to bring our members a financial wellness check-in.
District 684 Brentwood, Pennsylvania and District 699 Frankenmuth, Michigan
A Life Dedicated to Heritage, Fellowship, and Service
The GBU Life Scholarship Awards support students in college, trade programs, non-college programs, and graduate school, helping them achieve their dreams, setting them on a career path and realizing life goals. Since its founding, the GBU Foundation has awarded 4,500 scholarships and educational grants totaling more than $3.2 million. In 2025, 215 members received $226,000 to support their two‑year, four‑year and graduate studies. Here’s a look at where the rubber meets the road — as we check in on past grantees to see how their scholarship awards have helped them stay on course, where they are now, and where they hope to be in the future.
There are people who give, people who serve, and people whose lives are changed because of both. All were represented at the GBU Foundation Community Grant Awards event on April 9, 2026.
The GBU Foundation, established by GBU Life in 1963 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, empowers donors to turn generosity into meaningful community impact.
To celebrate our 134th anniversary, GBU Life launched the Birthday Bash initiative, calling upon the GBU Life community to honor our fraternal legacy through service. GBU Life invited members, producers, and community leaders to assemble and deliver shelf-stable cake kits for individuals and families who may otherwise go without a birthday celebration. What can seem like a simple act of service could be the spark of hope someone needed.
GBU Life is expanding the power of your member benefits with an enhancement to LawAssure, the easy‑to‑use online service that helps you prepare essential legal documents from home.
A guide for navigating miscarriage, stillbirth, and the grief that follows.
There’s something about summer that makes even the simplest meal feel like a celebration.