Making friends Hat
Making friends with locals and other international students
It can be scary to make friends in a new country, but it's one of the best things about studying abroad. Having friends from both your home country and other countries is a good way to learn about other cultures and have people to turn to for help.
Getting to Know the Locals
Get involved in campus clubs and activities
Joining a sports team, music group, or cultural club is a great way to meet other students in your area.
A student I knew joined the campus hiking club. Even though she had never hiked before, it was a great way for her to make friends by going on weekend trips with them.
Show interest about the culture
Local people appreciate when one seeks to learn about their traditions and cuisine.
Asking one of my classmates to explain the rules of American football to me prior to one of the games ended up as a group get together during the Super Bowl.
Join Study Groups
It's natural to get closer to someone when you work on projects together.
After we met up at the library on a regular basis to work on our group project, we became good friends and started having coffee chats every week.
Meeting Other Students from Other Countries
Become a member of the International Student Association (ISA)
ISAs plan events, mixers, and trips to get students to meet each other.
I met people from five different countries at a "Cultural Food Night," and they became my travel buddies.
Rely on Common Problems
Talking about culture shock, getting used to classes, or dealing with visas makes people feel like they know each other right away.
I made friends with a classmate while we were trying to figure out how to set up a phone plan. Later, we laughed about how confusing it was at the time.
Celebrate Each Other's Cultures
Cooking, celebrating holidays, or having language exchange sessions are all easy but important.
I taught a small group how to make Indian food, and in return, they told me about their holiday traditions. And it continued..
Advice for Both
Encourage open dialogue and more interpersonal communications by initiating them and smiling.
Do not worry for your chances of being turned down as it is a normal thing. Like, some people can be busy.
Initiate conversations and then set-up a coffee meet.
Make friends with people from other countries and with people from your own country to broaden your perspective.
It takes some bravery to reach out to people in other countries, but those friendships can bring you the most happiness and support while you're away from home.
