101 Genuinely Fun Icebreaker Questions for When You Meet New People on Campus

During my university’s freshman orientation in the summer of 2023, I found myself meeting so many new people, but I also found myself having the same conversations with every person: What’s your major? Where are you from? It gets repetitive (and a little boring) very quickly, which makes it harder to remember who you’ve actually talked to and connected with.

To help spark some more exciting conversations, I’ve created a list of 101 of the best icebreaker questions that you can tailor to what you want to get out of your convo, from asking about school to having a fun back-and-forth about your favorite music and movies. Whether you’re starting college, a new job, or joining a team or club where you don’t know many people, try some of these icebreakers to make your introductions a little more memorable — they work great for one-on-one chats and also for larger groups.

Whether it’s the first day of school or a few weeks into the semester, these questions will help make it a little easier to get the conversation flowing with your classmates and dormmates. 

1. What part of college life are you most excited about?
2. If you could start a club or organization on campus, what would it be?
3. What’s one thing your hometown is known for? 
4. What’s the most interesting class you’re taking this semester? 
5. What’s your best note-taking or study hack?
6. What’s your top bucket list item you want to cross off before you graduate?
7. What’s the strangest or most unique class you’ve ever taken?
8. What’s the weirdest icebreaker you’ve ever had to do in a class?
9. What’s your favorite study spot on campus?
10. What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you during an online Zoom class?
11. What’s your favorite song to listen to while walking across campus?
12. If you could teach a class on any topic, what would it be?
13. What school tradition or event are you most excited about?
14. What’s your favorite way to spend a break in the day between classes? 
15. Have you ever gone to a PowerPoint party? If yes, what was your topic and why?
16. If you had free reign to make a documentary about any topic (with a professional crew to help you), what would you choose? 
17. What’s your go-to study snack?
18. What’s your favorite dorm vending machine snack? 
19. What’s your biggest studying hot take?
20. What was your favorite year in school before coming to college?
21. What’s the best thing you’ve ever cooked in a shared dorm kitchen?
22. Where’s your favorite place to eat on campus?
23. Which season are you most excited to experience on campus? 
24. What’s your favorite way to unwind after a full day of classes? 
25. Are you more excited for winter break or spring break?
26. What’s your go-to morning beverage order before class, and do you have a favorite place to get it?
27. What’s your key to a good Sunday reset in your dorm or apartment? 
28. Would you rather thrift all your decor for your dorm room or DIY it? 
29. Team lofted dorm bed or un-lofted?
30. How would you describe your dorm aesthetic?
31. What’s the longest you’ve gone without taking your laundry down to the dorm washing machines?
32. What college movie or TV show did you think school would be most like? 
33. What fictional college character would you love to have as your roommate?

You might not have the same tastes as the person you’re talking to, but they’re sure to have some opinions to share that will spark some fun follow-ups. 

1. What movie or TV show do you quote the most often? 
2. If you could only listen to one music genre for the rest of your life, what would it be?
3. If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
4. What’s your favorite scene in your go-to comfort movie?
5. If you could have a movie theater to yourself for 24 hours, what movies would you queue up? 
6. Who’s your favorite character in your go-to comfort TV show?
7. Do you prefer watching TV shows on your phone, your laptop, or a television?
8. What band or singer is currently dominating your playlists?
9. What song do you have on repeat right now?
10. If you entered a karaoke competition where the worst singer won, what song would you pick?
11. What was your top song on your Spotify Wrapped or Apple Music Replay last year?
12. Which album is the best one you’ve ever listened to, no skips, from start to finish? 
13. What’s one concert from before you were born that you wish you could’ve gone to? 
14. What’s one TV show you wish could get another season? 
15. What TV friend group would you want to join?
16. What celebrity did you have a crush on as a kid that makes you laugh looking back at it?
17. What celebrity do you think would be the most loyal BFF?
18. Who would you want to play you in a movie about your life?
19. What’s the last video you watched on TikTok or Instagram?
20. What trending sound do you never want to hear again?
21. What Substack makes you the most excited to open your email?
22. What podcast do you think you could do a better job hosting than the current host?
23. What’s the last book you read that you could not put down or stop listening to?
24. What’s a book so many people have recommended to you, but you haven’t read yet?
25. What emoji makes you laugh every time you see it?
26. What app on your phone is responsible for jacking up your screen time?
27. If you were to transfer to any fictional school or college from books, movies, or TV, where would you go?
28. Who is your favorite fictional villain or anti-hero?
29. Team DC or MCU, and why?
30. What movie or TV show did you watch the most as a kid?
31. What video or computer game did you always play when you were a kid, and would you be just as good at it today?
32. What video or computer game would you want to live in?
33. What board game is too dangerous for you to play because you get too competitive? 
34. What reality show would you love to be a contestant on?

When in doubt, just have fun with it! Here are some questions that run the gamut from totally random to super silly.

1. What’s your favorite breakfast food?
2. What’s the best sandwich you’ve ever eaten?
3. If you could only eat at one fast-food restaurant for the rest of your life, which one would it be?
4. If you could choose five beverages to get an unlimited supply of — and immediate access to — whenever you wanted them, which beverages would you choose? 
5. What holiday meal or food is your favorite?
6. What’s your go-to ice cream flavor, and are you putting it in a cone, cup, or something else?
7. If you could get an all-expenses-paid food tour of one city in the world, where would you go?
8. What’s your go-to snack dinner (as in, a dinner made with only snacks!)?
9. What was your dream car when you were younger?
10. What is the weirdest piece of advice you’ve ever received that actually turned out to be helpful?
11. Are you a collector? If so, what’s the coolest thing you’ve ever acquired? 
12. What’s the cheesiest pick-up line you know?
13. What’s the silliest dream you’ve ever had (while sleeping)?
14. What niche hobby do you think you could be really good at?
15. If you had to dye your hair (either your whole head or just highlights) a fun color, which color would you choose?
16. What’s the funniest thing you have written in your Notes app?
17. What is the pettiest reason that you have ever gotten the “ick” from someone?
18. What’s your biggest beige flag about yourself?
19. What was your favorite playground game to play during recess?
20. What’s a childhood snack you wish you still had for lunch every day?
21. What animal do you relate to the most? 
22. What’s your absolute favorite activity to do during each season: winter, spring, summer, fall?
23. What’s a simple thing that made you smile recently? 
24. What’s your favorite place you’ve visited recently?
25. Do you have a lucky number, and if yes, what is it and when’s the last time you encountered it in the wild?
26. What’s the best gift you’ve ever given someone?
27. If you could move anywhere in the world for a year and not worry about money, where would you go?
28. What’s the most meaningful souvenir you’ve ever gotten on a vacation?
29. Would you rather watch sports or play sports?
30. If you could only watch one sport for the rest of your life, what would it be?
31. If you had to choose a new name for yourself, what would you choose?
32. If you had to open a store that sells just one thing, what would it be?
33. What is the most interesting job you know of (could be one you’ve had or not!)?
34. What’s one of your go-to “Two Truths and a Lie” truths?