The International Day of Friendship is coming up (30th July)! But it isn’t just about celebrating your mates, it was created by the UN to recognise the role friendship plays in bridging cultures & connecting people. Student accommodation, it turns out, is one of the best places there is for exactly that, so we thought it’d be useful to give some tips on making friendships in your new surroundings, particularly if you’re living with people from around the world.
It’s not as daunting as you might think!
Everyone’s in the same boat, starting fresh at uni and living with people they’ve never met before, so are ultimately all looking to break the ice and get introduced to who they’ll be spending the next year (or beyond) with. Start with your flatmates, go to your communal space and see how everyone’s settling in, if you’re on your phone the whole time that conversation might never start!
When you move into halls you might not think of it as a cross-cultural exchange, but your flat might well include someone from a different background with a different mind to your own – that’s not incidental, it’s a very valuable part of student living.
A different type of education
You’re at uni to study, but living with people from other cultures teaches you things you won’t find in a seminar group. How different families approach food, noise, privacy, hospitality, fun, celebration and more will become new lessons; and you might find yourself going to different events that you’d never previously heard of, listening to new music, or trying new foods with your new flatmates!
It’s easy to pick up on little differences in living rooms and kitchens – be curious, as long as it’s still polite and respectful. People light up when someone genuinely wants to know about their life, and you’ll almost always get an interesting answer. Maybe ask them what they miss about where they grew up, or see what they like about their new home away from home.
Be the one to make plans
You won’t believe how many people want to do things but are just waiting for someone else to suggest it first! Be the person that says “do you want to grab lunch?” or “I’m going to the gym if anyone wants to come?”, the answer will likely be yes. By the way, this could be in person or over the phone too, a top tip is to start a group chat with your flatmates or course mates so you can get into the habit of sorting things out together.
Shared experiences are how strangers become friends, and it can help with crossing cultural barriers as well – you don’t need much in common to walk to the lecture together.
Friendships that stay with you
Students that have lived in accommodation often say something similar years later: that the friendships they made helped them settle in and changed how they see the world. Not in a grand, conscientious way, but in the personal sense of having relationships in another country that they may never have expected. The people you spend time with can make your uni experience unforgettable, and being social can be the answer to a lot of questions.
We hope you’re looking forward to starting your new journey this Autumn, and making some great new friendships along the way. Choosing the right accommodation is essential for settling in, and luckily we’ve got a full range of flats, studios and shared apartments that are full of social amenities to make getting the ball rolling that little bit easier! If you have any questions about settling in, our team are always on hand to answer any burning questions.
