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New and returning university students

University Orientation Bingo

An icebreaker bingo card to help new students settle in during freshers week.

University Orientation Bingo helps new students break the ice during freshers week or induction sessions, when everyone is looking for an easy way to strike up conversation. It nudges students to explore campus, meet coursemates, and discover shared interests without any pressure. It is a light, welcoming activity for what can otherwise feel like an overwhelming first week.

How to run this activity

Distribute a bingo card to each new student at an orientation session or welcome event. Students circulate the room or campus finding people or things that match each square, noting a name or detail as they go. Allow a set amount of time, then invite students who complete a line to introduce one new person they met. This can be repeated across different orientation events throughout the week.

Full prompt list

  1. Find someone studying a different subject to you
  2. Find someone who travelled more than an hour to get here
  3. Find someone who has already found the library
  4. Find someone who joined a society or club today
  5. Find someone who lives in the same halls as you
  6. Find someone who has a part-time job
  7. Find someone who plays a sport or is joining a sports club
  8. Find someone who is the first in their family to attend university
  9. Find someone who has visited the student union already
  10. Find someone who knows where their first lecture is
  11. Find someone who has met their course tutor
  12. Find someone who speaks more than one language
  13. Find someone who is living away from home for the first time
  14. Find someone who has a favourite spot on campus already
  15. Find someone who has downloaded the university app
  16. Find someone who came to this university for a specific course
  17. Find someone who has met their flatmates
  18. Find someone who has a hobby involving music or art
  19. Find someone who has already tried the campus café
  20. Find someone who is commuting rather than living on campus
  21. Find someone who has signed up for a society fair table
  22. Find someone who has a favourite study spot picked out
  23. Find someone excited about a specific module this year
  24. Find someone who has walked the whole campus already

Customisation ideas

  • Tie prompts to specific campus buildings or landmarks for a self-guided tour effect
  • Add course-specific prompts for subject induction sessions
  • Offer a small prize such as student union vouchers for the first completed card
  • Adapt prompts for postgraduate, mature, or international student cohorts

Frequently asked questions

Yes, it scales well to large groups because students naturally spread out and mingle to find matches. It works in lecture halls, student union spaces, or even across a campus tour.

Absolutely, several prompts can be tied to campus landmarks so students explore the site while playing. This helps them build familiarity with key locations early on.

Swap prompts that assume typical undergraduate experiences for ones about research interests, previous careers, or reasons for returning to study. This keeps the activity relevant to the actual audience.

That is the point of the activity, as it gives students a reason to approach strangers with a low-pressure opening line. Most students find it easier than free-form small talk.

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