How to Make Friends at University, Before You Even Get There

Another option for how to make friends at university is simply to search Facebook for the university’s official page, and also pages run by groups of students at the university. For example, student unions and clubs often have their own Facebook page, and sometimes there are also pages specifically for international students at that university. This provides a kind of online community, where you can start getting to know students with similar interests to yourself, and maybe even arrange to meet up once term starts.

Similarly, some universities host discussion forums on their websites, which are open to both current and future students. Again, here you can start getting to know people, seek reassurance about anything that’s been worrying you, and start finding people with shared interests who you might like to hang out with. And of course if you use Twitter, you can also have a go at finding fellow tweeters either already at the university or about to start.

Most top universities are pretty good at helping international students to settle in, and one of the main ways they do this is through an orientation program. This usually means international students are invited to arrive on campus a week or so before everyone else – getting a chance to meet each other and acclimatize to their surroundings before the madness really begins.

Orientation programs usually include a mixture of informative events on how to make friends at university. For example, there might be a workshop about the local banking or transport system, guided trips around the local area, and group activities such as sports and quizzes. OK, I admit, this isn’t making friends before you get there – but it is still before the real chaos of Freshers’ Week and term-time!