A Serious Guide to Answering the Dreaded Icebreaker Question

Icebreakers — sorry, just the word gives me ~flashbacks~ to yesterday, sitting in a circle telling everyone my favorite color is purple. While it’s still icebreaker season, let me save you from the traumatic, anticlimactic experience of telling strangers dull facts about yourself that no one asked for. I got you with the perfect life hacks for thinking of conversation starting **fun** facts.

Offer a Hot Take

Nothing says conversation starter like a friendly debate, buttt be careful of how much you push this one. You want to entertain the group with a humorous argument, not create a lifelong enemy in your crack of dawn at 9 a.m. because they’re a Jefe’s stan and you're not.

Complain

OK, this might seem like the easy way out. But hear me out: complaints are relatable! Let’s face it, we all bond over complaining about endless p-sets and HUDS’s not so flavorful food, so why not start the ~bonding~ over grievances early?? Instead of sending that long text message rant to your best friends, perhaps you could instead share the rage with sleep-derived strangers who you met two minutes ago.

Share What Makes You *Special*

Do you speak multiple languages? Do you have a SoundCloud? Are you secretly an FBI agent???? Well, maybe don’t share that. But, simply just share what makes you, you. This can be as artificial as you want it to be, or as genuine as you’re willing to share. People could remember you as the “one who can eat a Felipe’s burrito in 5.6 seconds,” instead of the “one who has two dogs.”

Be a Copy-Cat

The goal of an icebreaker is to make friends right? Build off someone’s story of how they were featured on Shark Tank, or how they met Bill Gates. Having things in common is the foundation of friendship, so nothing says friendship like having the same brand. Speaking of branding, psychology says that people tend to like themselves *so* much that they’re attracted to the mere image of themselves. Don't steal their identity, but definitely match their ~wavelengths~. They might end up subconsciously despising you for coming for their clout, or you might just trick them into becoming friends!!

Confess your Love

Are you obsessed with Playa Bowls? Were you in the top 1 percent of Taylor Swift’s 2021 Spotify listeners? Use this as your chance to write a love letter to your favorite coffee shop, band, or even everyone’s favorite pharmacy right down the street. Your new classmates might think you’re a little obsessive (in a not so healthy way), but at least you have a personality!

Remember these five categories, and you’ll never be overwhelmed with the unbearable embarrassment your mediocre fun fact has brought you during the first few weeks of classes. Everyone will think you’re ~that~ person after they hear your fun fact, but little do they know you just have amazing taste in blogs ;)