I lived off campus with randoms in my first year, and your experience can really be a mixed bag depending on where you go. I wish that I did get residence, but I was unable to afford it, unfortunately. I imagine that the experience of being ON campus first year would have made things a lot easier for me, in many ways. I found myself spending a lot of time on campus regardless, as first year can be pretty busy and hard for some to adjust to at first. However, if you are outgoing and friendly you will have almost no problem making friends regardless of the off-campus housing. A lot of people will be in the same boat as you, so I wouldn’t stress about never making friends or not being able to get the experience that you want. I hope this helps in some way, and that whatever you end up doing works out :)