How to Make Friends and Build a Network as an International Student
By Nguyen Duc Minh
Why Making Friends Matters When You Study Abroad
Learning how to make friends as an international student is not a soft skill you can put off until after exams — it is one of the most important things you will do all year. With more than 6 million students enrolled in higher education abroad in 2023 — and just over 5 million of them in OECD countries — you are part of a huge, fast-growing global community. Yet many newcomers still feel isolated in their first months. The good news: friendship and building a network as an international student is a learnable process. This guide gives you concrete, research-backed steps to meet people, beat loneliness, and turn your social life into a long-term career asset.
International student numbers in OECD countries rose 18% between 2018 and 2022, reaching more than 4.6 million, and nearly half (46%) of all internationally mobile students study in just four countries: the US, the UK, Australia and Canada. That means wherever you land, there are thousands of people in exactly your situation — and they want to connect just as much as you do.
The Loneliness Problem (and Why You Are Not Alone)
Let's be honest about the challenge. A 2025 German university study found that 28.2% of students experienced loneliness during their studies. For international students, the gap is even sharper. In a survey of nearly 2,000 international students at U.S. universities, 41% said they find it hard to form close friendships with domestic students, while 86% said it is easy to form close friendships with students from their home country.
There is a paradox hidden in these numbers. The same survey found that 77% of international students say domestic students are welcoming — yet many still struggle to make local friends. The barrier is rarely hostility; it is inertia, language nerves, and not knowing where to start.
> Note: Research consistently finds that students with a higher proportion of host-national friends report greater cultural and social satisfaction and less homesickness, while leaning only on co-national friends correlates with lower satisfaction. Mixing your circle isn't just nice — it directly improves your wellbeing.
How to Make Friends as an International Student: A Step-by-Step Plan
1. Win Orientation Week — It Is Your Best Single Opportunity
Orientation (or "Welcome Week") is the one moment when everyone is new, awkward, and actively looking for friends. The social barriers that build up later simply aren't there yet. Practical ways to meet people during university orientation week:
- Say yes to everything for the first two weeks, even events that feel outside your comfort zone.
- Sit next to someone new at every session rather than retreating to people from your country.
- Collect contacts immediately — swap WhatsApp or Instagram before you leave a room, not "someday."
- Host something tiny. A shared coffee or a group walk to the supermarket turns acquaintances into friends.
2. Join Clubs and Societies — The Friendship Shortcut
Joining clubs and societies as an international student is the highest-return activity for your social life, because shared activity removes the pressure of small talk. You don't have to find things to say — the activity gives you a reason to be together every week. Aim for a mix:
- One activity from your culture (a familiar anchor and an easy starting community).
- One activity from the host culture — a local sport, a hiking group, a debate society — to meet host-national friends.
- One skill or career club that doubles as networking (coding, finance, journalism, entrepreneurship).
Consistency beats intensity. Showing up to the same club every week for a month builds far stronger bonds than attending ten different events once.
3. Make Friends With Local Students Abroad
This is the hardest piece for most people, so be strategic:
- Use group projects. Volunteer early, suggest a study session, and let coursework create natural repeated contact.
- Offer a language exchange. Locals often want to practice your language — make it a fair trade, not a favor.
- Learn the social code. In some countries friendships form over a pub or a dinner invite; in others over study groups or sports. Watch and adapt.
- Be patient. Local students already have established circles. It can take a full semester to break in — that is normal, not rejection.
4. Use Work and Part-Time Jobs to Expand Your Network
A part-time job is an underrated friendship and networking machine — you meet locals and colleagues outside the student bubble. Work rules vary widely by country, so plan around them:
| Country | Work hours allowed during term | During official breaks |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | 140 full days / 280 half-days per year; up to 20 hrs/week (from summer 2026) | Up to 40 hrs/week (full-time) |
| Canada | Up to 24 hrs/week off campus (raised from 20 in Nov 2024) | Unlimited |
| Australia | Max 48 hrs per fortnight while course is in session | Unlimited |
Germany increased its work allowance to 140 full days effective from the summer 2026 semester, giving students more room to combine income, language practice and social contact.
Building a Network That Boosts Your Employability
Friendship and professional networking sit on the same spectrum — and the payoff is real. Almost 80% of students said their job chances improved through international learning and mobility experiences in 2024–2025. The connections you make now become referrals, references and co-founders later.
Where to Build Your Professional Network
- Career fairs and employer talks hosted on campus — show up early and follow up by email within 24 hours.
- Professors and supervisors, who write the recommendation letters that open doors.
- Alumni groups from your country and your university; alumni love helping people who share their journey.
- LinkedIn, used deliberately: connect with classmates, add a friendly note, and post about your projects.
Turn Social Life Into Career Capital
The link between international student social life and employability is direct. Group projects build teamwork stories for interviews. Club leadership becomes a CV line. The friend you helped with code today refers you to their internship next year. Treat every genuine relationship as a node in a network that will quietly compound for the rest of your career.
How to Overcome Homesickness While Studying Abroad
International student loneliness and homesickness are often two sides of the same coin, and the antidote is connection plus routine. Try this:
- Build a weekly rhythm. A standing gym time, a regular café, a recurring club — predictability fights anxiety.
- Schedule, don't drift, calls home. A fixed weekly video call is grounding; constant scrolling through home news is not.
- Recreate small rituals. Cook a familiar dish and invite new friends — sharing your culture is a fast way to bond.
- Move your body and get outside. Exercise and daylight measurably reduce low mood.
- Use campus support early. Counselling and international-student offices exist precisely for this. Asking for help is normal, not weak.
> Tip: Give it a full semester before you judge your social life. Almost everyone underestimates how long real friendships take to form abroad — the people who feel settled by month four usually just kept showing up when month two felt hard.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to make friends as an international student?
Expect acquaintances within your first weeks and genuine close friendships within one to two semesters. The 41% who struggle with local friendships often improve dramatically once they commit to one or two regular clubs and stop relying solely on their home-country circle.
Is it bad to mostly hang out with people from my own country?
Not bad — co-national friends are a vital comfort and safety net. But research shows that students with more host-national friends report higher satisfaction and less homesickness. Aim for a balanced mix rather than an all-or-nothing approach.
What if I'm shy or my language skills aren't strong yet?
Choose activity-based settings (sports, clubs, volunteering) where doing something together replaces the pressure of conversation. Language exchanges are ideal: both people are learning, so mistakes are expected and welcome.
Can a part-time job really help me make friends?
Yes. A job places you alongside locals and colleagues outside the classroom, builds language confidence, and expands your professional network. Just stay within your visa's work-hour limits, which differ by country (see the table above).
Where do I meet the most people the fastest?
Orientation week, by a wide margin — everyone is new and open. After that, join clubs and societies and show up consistently rather than sampling many one-off events.
Related Articles
- Beating Homesickness & Culture Shock: A Survival Guide for Students Abroad
- First 30 Days Abroad: An Arrival Checklist for International Students
- Part-Time Work Rules for International Students by Country (2026)
- How to Get a Job Abroad After Graduation: A Guide for International Students
- Best English-Speaking Countries to Study Abroad in 2026
- Is Studying Abroad Worth It in 2026? Costs, Benefits & ROI Analysis
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