Making friend

Friends will be an integral part of your stay in Australia. Sharing new experiences with other people is often what makes them so memorable. In your new environment you will be among many like-minded individuals and whilst it can take some time to make good friends you will have many people in the same boat as you and many opportunities to meet people from a diverse range of backgrounds. From these people you will get support and you will learn a lot about the place your living in and yourself.


Where to find friends

Your institution will be your first point of call. Take advantage of the numerous clubs and services that are available to you, where you will find people that are interested in the same things that you are. Join a sporting team, or a volunteer group and also if you find employment in Australia that is also a great way to meet people. You might find meeting people from your own culture easier. Whilst this is true and it is good idea to get to know people who are going through similar experiences you will benefit hugely if you make Australian friends. Your language will be helped immensely and they will be able to help in a range of things that only a local can.

If you have a look at the friends you have now you will notice that there is a connection, you have similar interests or you have a similar outlook on life. Making friends is all about finding people that you can relate to and that you can get along with.

To make friends you need to make the effort. While it seems sometimes daunting to try and start conversations with people it will in the long run make your stay more enjoyable. Starting conversations with people before and after class is a good way to meet people.

Not everyone you meet is going to become a good friend but the more opportunities you give yourself and the more active you are in social encounters the quicker you’ll make friends. Being confident around other people, smiling, starting conversations and really engaging with other people will help you make friends. Remember that many people are in a similar situation to you. To turn a brief encounter into something more you will need to arrange a time to do something, e.g. - going for a movie, meal or a coffee. It might involve something related to study or if you both like a certain type of music - going to see a band. Exchanging phone numbers and emails is also a good sign.

Don’t worry if not everyone is reciprocal to your approaches, everyone is different and you will soon realise pretty soon whether a casual conversation will lead into friendship.