Reconnecting with long-lost college friends can be fun. You can find out what they’ve been doing all this time.
There are several ways to do this, from arranging to meet one-on-one to a full-on school reunion.
But where do you start to find them? There are numerous ways you can look for people online, and here are a few:
Online Searches
Finding people online is straightforward. Tracking down long-lost college friends can be done in five ways. Start with the institution’s own sites, followed by sites dedicated to the task. Falling that, there are free people search sites to be used.
1. The School’s Own Sites
Most schools and colleges have their own websites or social media pages. Check for alum sections broken down by years. It’s possible to find former students’ contact details in these areas.
2. Specific School Search Sites
Several sites exist dedicated to matching students with others. Classmates.com has one of the largest databases in the US. Alumni.net is an alternative. It was created for college leavers to find employment but has morphed into a contact information site.
3. People Search Sites
Specific people search sites are designed to find others with little information. A name and a location may be all it takes to find them. Naturally, the more that’s known about them, the faster the process. These types of sites may offer prompts during the search process that could trigger a memory of more data.
4. Search Engines
An online search like Google could produce results if a lot is known about the person. Rather than inputting a name only, type in something unique, for example, “Betty Monroe, class president 1975, ices wedding cakes.” This level of detail may be enough to find the person straight away.
5. Social Media
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter are excellent places to find old contacts. For those who graduated in the last century, Facebook would be the likely choice. Locate people via its search bar with a name and a location; entering the school’s name will narrow down the results.
LinkedIn is an excellent resource if the person’s occupation or field of interest is known. Once again, the more information known, the better, but even an industry and state can bring up results. The challenge with LinkedIn is that contact details are only made available to immediate connections or one removed. Therefore, you may need a current contact to introduce you.
Organize a College Reunion
Instead of doing the legwork yourself, another way is to make them come to you. The immortal line from the movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come,” rings true here. So organize a reunion, and interested people will attend.
Set up a social media page inviting former students of the relevant year to ‘sign up’ to join. This action will have them provide their contact details. You can then send out invitations.
There’s often one person from every class who has spent years keeping in touch with school friends. This person would make an excellent co-chair of the event. They’ve already got a database of names and contacts.
Link the page to the school’s site or social media to maximize exposure. Often former students access these websites to see if reunions are coming up.
Reconnect With Old College Friends Today
Why not try to find long-lost college friends? With the help of the internet, it’s straightforward.
Begin with the school’s website or social media alum sections. Next, make use of dedicated sites with databases of students. People search sites are an excellent way to find people with limited information.
Don’t underestimate the success of Google or people’s social media to obtain contact details.
Finally, avoid searching for yourself by organizing a college reunion, and let them come to you.
