Finding Your People Abroad: The Unexpected Art of Making Friends
When students head overseas, one of the first questions they often ask themselves isn’t about classes, food, or even language—it’s: “How will I make friends?”
On paper, it sounds simple. You pack your bags, arrive in a new country, and meet people from all over the world. But the reality can feel much different. Many students quickly notice that others arrive with groups of friends from their home university, while they themselves might be starting alone. That moment can feel daunting but it’s also where the growth begins.
Why Breaking Out of Comfort Zones Matters
It’s easy to stay close to the people you already know. Familiar faces bring comfort, especially in an unfamiliar setting. But if students only stick to their circle, they risk missing the very heart of the study abroad experience: exposure to new cultures, new perspectives, and new connections.
Encouraging students to stretch themselves socially—whether that means introducing themselves to a roommate’s friends, joining a club where they don’t know anyone, or striking up a conversation in class helps them develop skills that extend far beyond the semester. It’s about learning to build bridges where none existed before.
Joining Groups Without Losing Yourself
One common hesitation is, “How do I make friends when everyone already seems to have a group?” The key is not to see groups as closed doors, but as opportunities. Joining existing circles often requires patience, humility, and curiosity. Students may find that they don’t immediately connect in the same ways they do back home. That’s normal and even healthy. It teaches the invaluable lesson that relationships are built not only on shared backgrounds, but on shared openness.
Curiosity is the Real Passport
The truth is, making friends abroad doesn’t always look like it does at home. A joke or reference that sparks connection in one culture might not land in another. This humbling experience pushes students to slow down, listen more, and ask questions. In other words, they learn to be curious about others, about themselves, and about what truly builds community.
When students embrace curiosity, they often find something beautiful: their “tribe.” These are the friends who might come from completely different cultures or walks of life, but who share a willingness to connect deeply. That discovery—that your people exist everywhere, even in places you never expected—is one of the most powerful lessons a student can carry forward.
Why This Matters
At Joy Worldwide, we see these social skills as critical outcomes of study abroad. When students learn to navigate difference, join communities, and create new bonds, they don’t just return with memories of travel. They return with empathy, resilience, and a broadened sense of belonging, qualities that benefit their families, workplaces, and communities for years to come.
Because while classes may end and semesters abroad eventually wrap up, the ability to find connection wherever you are—that stays for life.