5 Ways to Make Friends Abroad

By: Elizabeth Gardner

It can be extremely nerve-racking to make new friends while studying abroad. You likely won’t know anyone in the city you are moving to. However, I can share some of the ways I’ve made friends while studying abroad in Paris! 

1. Class
   1. In CIEE classes, extend yourself and talk to your peers. It is a really easy way to find friends. It can be intimidating, but everyone else is also in a foreign country having this new experience, and will be looking for friends.
2. Conversation Exchanges
   1. CIEE offers conversation exchanges with local students!! It is a great way to meet people your age in the city you wouldn’t have met otherwise.
3. Overnight trips
   1. With my program, we have had two overnight trips. It is a great opportunity to bond with the people in your program! I made some of my closest friends from study abroad through these trips, I would highly recommend taking advantage of them.
4. Implement the activities you do at home in your life in Paris.
   1. Find places to do the hobbies you have at home while abroad! For example, if you go to yoga, find a yoga studio in your abroad city, and there will be people who share the same interest. Personally, I love to watch live music, and I have made friends by attending shows and talking to people there.
5. Homestay
   1. While I didn’t do a homestay, some of my friends did and it was a great outlet to make friends. They became friends with their host siblings, other relatives and family friends, and neighbors. It is a wonderful way to make local friends!

It can be challenging to make friends abroad. As someone who is not always the most extroverted person, I had to work at putting myself out there to make friends. But, I can attest that stepping outside of my comfort zone brought so many people into my life that I hope will be lifelong friends!

EXPLORE PARIS