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Tips for Creating a Great First Impression and Making New Friends Your First Week on Campus

Mix it up when choosing who to talk to
Whether you’re at college in your home country or an international student beginning school in a brand new one, make friends with people from other countries, cultures or backgrounds International students who came from another country to attend college will especially appreciate your friendliness and including them in activities. Ask them about their home countries and try out their favorite foods.


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

What Are Some Nonverbal Cues That Can Convey Confidence At Work?


Attributes like full control of the space, relaxed body language, a posture that is open, and a strong, authentic presence. To begin feeling that power yourself imagine a lion in the jungle. She establishes her space and territory; she's queen of the jungle. She's relaxed; she moves gracefully. If she met a mouse on her path, it's the mouse that would be tense. Her posture is open; she stretches out her limbs. She'd never have to battle for an armrest on an airplane. She's -authentic; she carries her confidence and stability with her. She's herself.


Take Up Space
Use the arms on the chair, stand with your feet a bit apart (men can do this more easily than women.)  A female leg stance in North America is with the feet typically 4 to 6 inches apart and a male power stance starts with the feet more than 8 inches apart which could make a woman look like a gun slinging cowboy.  

Choose where you sit and stand
For example the new power seat (seating in detail in the book) is the middle of the conference room table.  

Go First
Initiate interactions. Be the first to make eye contact, offer your hand to shake, have an idea or solution, go into a room, and make the call.  You can only afford to wait and go last when you are in the C-suite and ready to retire.  

The handshake
Always put your hand out to shake hands. A classic good handshake is one with full palm to palm contact.

Eyes
Occasionally initiate prolonged, eye contact, three seconds or longer as you initiate interactions.  Says, acts like communicates that you are powerful. The dominant person may alternatively prevent eye contact, saying “You are beneath me and I do not want even to look at you.” Women have to be careful of doing this when they don’t know the gentleman as it may be misconstrued as a sexual come on. (Yes, this is still true today.)  

Speaking
The person who speaks first often gets to control the conversation, either by talking for longer or by managing the questions. You don’t have to be loud to be confident but you may have to be a bit louder to get “the turn” to speak.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Tips for Creating a Great First Impression and Making New Friends Your First Week on Campus

Be open
You have the rare opportunity for a fresh start at your impression. Smile as you walk across campus, walk down your dorm or class hallway or enter any room. Take the initiative to make eye contact, say hello and introduce yourself. Keep your body language open.


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Why Is It Important To Give Nonverbal Cues That Convey Confidence And Poise At Work?


First - How you hold your body, speak and move affects how you feel. If you are standing with your shoulders drooping and head bowed, the little pharmacy in your brain creates and sends chemicals into your bloodstream in less than a fortieth of a second - to make you feel the way you look. Not powerful.

Second - We form and use first impressions to access who and how to interact with each other.  The most current research says that we can form an accurate first impression 80% accurate or higher in 100 milliseconds — less than the time it takes to snap our finger.  The four first impression factors are credibility, likeability attractiveness and power. We need to make sure that we are communicating those four factors confidence and credibility so that others trust us, believe in us and want to do business.


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Tips for Creating a Great First Impression and Making New Friends Your First Week on Campus

Be helpful and considerate
Having roommates and being in a new living situation can often be stressful at first, even if you click as friends.  Before settling into your new space, offer to help your roommates carry in their belongings or bring some snacks to share.  Ask them about their interests.  Introduce yourself to their families.  Invite them to dinner with your family if they’ve arrived by themselves.  Laying the groundwork for a positive relationship with your roommates can go a long way to help things go smoothly

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.