Adjusting to the new environment and potential cultural differences can make it difficult for students to build social networks and, as a result, many international students may experience periods of loneliness during their time overseas. With everything so new, foreign, and sometimes scary, making friends and settling in abroad can be challenging.
"International students have several risk factors for loneliness, including being away from loved ones, novelty (finding yourself in a new situation), not having a network in the new place yet, and feeling different (not fitting in) because of not understanding social codes and norms."
"International students have several risk factors for loneliness, including being away from loved ones, novelty (finding yourself in a new situation), not having a network in the new place yet, and feeling different (not fitting in) because of not understanding social codes and norms."
Luzia Heu, Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, who conducts research on loneliness across different cultures.
Ways to combat loneliness
Join clubs and societies: As a new student, take advantage of the first few weeks at university when everyone is trying to make friends. Take yourself along to the fresher’s events to mix with other students and join as many clubs and societies as you can. There are numerous clubs that will be suited to everyone at university, and it is one of the easiest ways to get to know your peers and make new friends. Some universities also have social media sites and online communities that you can reach out to people through.
Joining clubs and societies allows you to be around lots of new people in a non-classroom setting where socialising is common. It is also highly possible that the other students are there for the same reason you are – to make friends. Best of all, you would already have something in common with the people in your group allowing you to get to know them by bonding over shared interests. An important reminder is that you should not feel pressured to attend your club(s) every week, especially as the semester progresses and workload increases.
Join cultural communities: Joining cultural communities can also be fun as you will meet a range of new people, learn about diverse cultures, and share different perspectives. It also gives you an opportunity to meet people from the same culture as you and could even help with feelings of homesickness.
There are other benefits to joining clubs that don’t revolve around only meeting friends, for example, if you enjoy films and the cinema, joining a group that watches and discusses films each week is a great way to meet people and improve one’s language skills. As well as this, you could still benefit by finding a new passion or interest you didn’t know you had.
Participate in class tutorials: Class tutorials are another good way to start conversations and work on different projects. They are an opportunity to share your thoughts and to have conversations around different issues. In addition, tutorials can highlight who agrees and disagrees with the points you’re making and by doing this it can form bonds if you notice someone shares the same views as you. It also gives you an opportunity to get your classmates numbers or social media to chat about the class material alongside other things. Inviting people in your class to meet up to study together or work on projects can be a good way of making friends while also focusing on class work.
Consider shared accommodation: Applying to live in shared accommodation at university is a great way to make new friends as you can socialise with the people you live with. Living with strangers can be daunting but by putting yourself out there and engaging with others either by sparking up conversations in your common areas, or keeping your door open allowing others to come up to you, will help you to make a friend along the way.
Share meals: If you live in shared accommodation, consider suggesting a dinner party or having dinner together. People naturally congregate over food and experiencing new meals acts as a good conversation topic. It is also a good idea to even just have chilled nights with your new flat mates such as playing games and ordering a takeaway.
Mix with others in your student accommodation: It is very common for university dorms to have parties which gives you more opportunities to interact and socialise with new people. The biggest tip when staying in university accommodation is to not be confined to your room all the time where interaction with others will be minimal. Try not to rely solely on people coming up to you, so make sure you’re proactive about making friends. Some ideas include walking up to people in classes, hallways or even the dorms where you are staying. There are opportunities everywhere to make small talk. The chances are that you won’t be the only one who has moved away from home and are trying to make friends, there will be plenty others in a new country the same as you. While not all students will have travelled thousands of miles for their studies, most will have left home for the first time and will be keen to see a friendly face.
Find a part-time job: Finding a part time job can also be beneficial in trying to make friends. Working with colleagues provides the space to start up conversations, which can be helpful for making friends. Having a job can also lead to staff members catching a drink together after a hard shift or even doing activities together on their days off.
Hopefully making a handful of friends is all you need to do for your network to start expanding naturally as you begin to meet their friends who could end up becoming your friends.
The first few weeks or even months in a new country can be very overwhelming and making friends won’t happen overnight, but it also won’t happen if you don’t put yourself out there and make it a priority. Just remember to be kind and always be yourself and everything should work out. One last tip is to make the most of your experience by saying yes to every invitation you are offered, and before you know it, you will be surrounded by people.
References
- https://activestudy.com.au/2023/03/22/how-to-make-friends-as-an-international-student/#:~:text=By%20attending%20events%2C%20joining%20clubs%2C%20volunteering%2C%20participating%20in,make%20the%20most%20of%20your%20study%20abroad%20experience.
- https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/blogs/making-friends-international-student
- https://www.conquerabroad.com/resources/preparation/make-friends-abroad
- https://www.studyinternational.com/news/making-friends-university/
-
No comments:
Post a Comment