Best Ways to Make Friends While Studying in a Foreign Country

It is a known fact that every human gets home sick when he/ she goes way from family for the first time. I have written articles on this topic and how to recover from homesickness. You feel homesickness when you are alone. So it is recommended to make as many friends as you can while you are away from home.

Even if you don’t get homesick, it is still very important that you make friends. Making friends in a foreign country will not only help you recover cultural shock but it is also very important if you wish spend a fun time there. These are the friends that you will spend few years of your life while studying abroad. You will study and enjoy with them. They will become a part of your global social network after completing your education.

In a nutshell, making friends is important especially when you are studying abroad. This is a difficult phase for many youngsters who are a little shy or new to change. In order to help students who wish to study abroad, studyabroad.pk has published articles on every little problem and details. In today’s article, I am going to tell you the best ways and tips to make a lot of friends when you are living in a foreign country for education.

1 -   Spend Time in Hostel

Hostel is the place where you will find all of the students of your institute. There will be students from same batch as yours, juniors and seniors. In hostel you will find students from different study fields and departments living there. If you wish to make friends, you should spend as much time as possible in your hostel. By hostel, I don’t mean to lock yourself up in your room.

First of all, get along with your roommates. Then you should go out in hallways, mess, lounge, garden or any other gathering point in your hostel. You will find many students gathered. Just sitting with them, you will eventually find yourself engaged in conversation with them.

2 -   Always Volunteer

You should always be ready to volunteer. If you see any activity going on, you should volunteer for it. Anyone invites for anything i.e. study, play, party or to eat; you should try to say yes and go with them. This way, you will not only get to spend time with them but they will also start to like you.

3 -   Pick a Sport

If you pick a sport, it can help you meet new people. If you play football, you will find many other soccer players around you. By playing with them, you will see a bond of brotherhood or sisterhood building between you and them. If you get selected in the university’s team, it is even better. It will make you famous and people will be attracted towards you.

4 -   Be Nice to Everyone

Being nice won’t cost you anything and will make your personality charming and attractive. Manners are liked by everyone even the haters admire it. Being nice while studying abroad will help you in a lot of ways. First of all, no bad record or misconduct on your side increases your chances of getting permanent residency. Moreover, if you treat every nice, they will like you. You should always offer your help in every matter. For example, if your teachers needs some assistance or your class fellows need help in studies or anything else; you should volunteer yourself for help. This will make a good place for you in their hearts.

5 -   Learn Local Language

Learning the local language is also very important. If you are in a Non-English and you don’t know their language, you won’t be able to communicate with any of the natives. You should at least the basic words and sentences for communication. You can learn the rest after you become friends and spending time with the locals.

6 -   Invite for Food

I have never seen a person saying he/ she doesn’t like to eat. As a matter of fact, eating is one of my most favorites things to do. This food trick never goes in vain. You should invite your class fellows for lunch, dinner, pizza, drink or anything. I bet they won’t say no. Even if someone can’t come, he/ she will set time for later. People like those who offer food to feed them. Once you get together to eat, you will start to talk and share with each other. That is the start of a friendship.

7 -   Ask for Help

If you need any help in studies or anything else on which others can help; you should acquire it from your class fellows or students in your hostel. You should ask for help even if it’s a little thing but don’t clingy. It is a great trick to start conversation and getting to know each other.

8 -   Group Study

Group study is the best way to get to know your class fellows. If you see any students getting together for group study, without a second thought you should join them. If possible you should even conduct group study session yourself. If you are good at something and you know someone next to you needs help in it, you should offer them your assistance. In addition, you should also announce in class if anyone needs help in that topic because you are teaching that one person so others are also welcome. There is always more talking, eating, enjoying and gossip in group study than study. This will help you all get closer to each other.

Usama Ahmed Awan The Editor of StudyAbroad.pk, Usama is a BZU studied Software Engineer, now  a Teacher, Article Writer, Educational Counselor and Journalist. He has been  writing to assist students selecting the right career path.