Be Open to Diversity

Making international friends requires inherent adaptability and open-mindedness. Be prepared to meet people completely different from yourself. Living abroad will push you out of your comfort zone, so don’t be surprised if there are some bumps in the road. I personally have experienced miscommunication, awkward jokes, and cringe worthy moments. But on the other side of that is lifelong friendship.

Try Everything

Say “yes” to everything and everyone when you feel comfortable doing so! You’re in unfamiliar territory so you’ll have to re-learn how you want to spend your time. Luckily, there’s a plethora of random things to try. My first month in Sheffield I joined societies, talked to strangers, went on side quests, and found myself in fun, yet bizarre, situations. Soon enough these various activities will become your daily life.

Be a Friend First

“To have a friend you need to be a friend”. In most cases people aren’t going to instantly decide to be your friend. But if you put in effort, you can establish sustainable, low-effort – high-reward relationships. Host a dinner. Invite a classmate to coffee. Ask your cohort to go bowling. Keep reaching out to people — friendships often grow from the smallest invitations. 

Talk to People in Your Lectures

This might sound obvious but it’s underutilized. You’re missing out on accessible, low-stakes friends if you’re not talking to people in your lecture. Most of the basis for friendship is convenience and routine. If you’re seeing the same people every week, say hi every time without fail, and one day ask them to get lunch after class.

Engage with Your Local Community

One of the common pitfalls of international education is pigeon-holing yourself within your cohort. Yes, the majority (if not all) of your friends will be from your cohort. But from my experience the people who thrived went outside of the university and did something in their city. I personally joined the local competition swim team. I’m the only foreigner and it’s completely unrelated to my studies, but that’s what I love about it.

Honor Your Need For Rest

Living abroad is rewarding yet exhausting. And not everyone who does this program is an extrovert. I think there’s this idea that you need to be constantly busy to have fun. Go home and rest so you can be your happy, friendly self the next time you see people. You also don’t need to have dozens of friends to be socially fulfilled. A few close friends are worth their weight in gold.

Abigail Shores, 2025-2027 cohort (Y1 Sheffield, Y2 Rennes- Biostats and Epi)