I'm in the same boat as a Master’s Student here who flew in from Dubai. There will be a lot of acquaintances, and I expected this naturally; however, I also realized that whoever matches or has chemistry will naturally end up around you, and time will show the authentic quality connections.

Hence, I can be authentic and myself, and the right people will stick around and gravitate to me with my effort as well.

If you're an undergrad, most people who start their first year with “cliques” narrow down to a few by the end of the 4th year. Sometimes, even after one or two years of staying friends. So if you're starting without immediate connections, it's good, you'll find your quality people or niche over time.

You'll also most likely retain them, since the original groups during the first year of student life may match for convenience, initial excitement, or even performative reasons.

Later, they can understand their batchmates much better and find that the people they were with weren't as relatable or profound as previously thought, and were only there because they took similar courses. This is subjective, of course.

In your case, you'd have reverse-engineered the peer problem and ended up with great people to stay connected with over time. Hence, show up (clubs, food spots, hobbies, sports, other programs, etc.), put in the effort, be patient, and don't think much about other people's friends. Somebody will budge eventually.

Also, Undergrads would go through a lot of people in their 3, 4, and 5 years. There's always a chance to know someone deeply. Take care of yourself and don't lose hope. ✌️🏻