How to Make Friends Before Moving Abroad

Yes, you can make friends before moving abroad. Start with low-pressure conversations with students who share your destination, course interests or hobbies; ask practical questions about life there; and make a simple plan to meet people through orientation and campus activities once you arrive. The aim is not to create an instant friendship group online. It is to arrive with a few familiar faces, better questions and more confidence.

Table of contents:

• A Guide for International Students
• Why meeting people before you arrive can help
• 6 ways to meet people before studying abroad
• How to start a conversation with international students online
• Questions to ask current international students before you go
• How to use IDP Student Community before you leave
• Connect thoughtfully online
• Turn online conversations into real-life friendship after you arrive
• What if friendship takes time?
• Start small and arrive with more confidence 

A Guide for International Students

Moving abroad to study can be exciting and daunting at the same time, particularly if you are travelling alone. You may be looking forward to new experiences while wondering whether you will know anyone, understand the local routine or feel at home when you arrive. The good news is that you do not have to wait for your first lecture or orientation week to start building connections.

Learning how to make friends before moving abroad is less about finding a ready-made social circle and more about giving yourself a gentler start. A few thoughtful conversations can help you understand your new city, make better preparation decisions and feel less like you are stepping into the unknown. Build this alongside the practical work in the ultimate study abroad preparation checklist, and you will be better prepared for both the logistical and social sides of your move.

Why meeting people before you arrive can help

Starting early can make the transition feel more manageable. A current student may be able to share their everyday perspective on the first week, local routines, campus clubs or what they wish they had known before leaving. Another new student may be feeling just as unsure as you are. Neither conversation needs to become a close friendship immediately to be useful.

The most helpful mindset is to aim for familiarity, not instant friendship. You might find one person to message when you have a practical question, one group where you can learn about student life, and one idea for something to try in your first week. That is already a strong foundation for someone who is about to study abroad alone

6 ways to meet people before studying abroad

If you are wondering how to meet people before studying abroad, start with routes that make it easy to find common ground. Choose one or two methods that feel comfortable rather than trying to join everything at once.

1. Look for university-led welcome spaces

After you accept an offer, check your university email, student portal and international-office updates. Some institutions introduce new students through online welcome sessions, course groups, arrival briefings or peer-mentor programmes. These are useful places to ask practical questions and meet people who are preparing for the same move.

Start with one simple action. Introduce yourself, say where you are moving from and mention your course or arrival month. It gives other students an easy way to reply.

2. Connect around your destination, subject or interests

A shared destination is useful, but a shared interest often makes a conversation easier. Look for people who are studying a similar subject, enjoy the same sport, are interested in the same type of music or are also arriving in the same intake. You do not need to have everything in common; you only need a natural starting point.

This is also where an international student community can be useful. The IDP Student Community has a Find Friends area where users can chat with student ambassadors and filter by country, subject or shared interests. Use those filters to find people whose experience is relevant to the questions you genuinely have.

3. Speak to students who are already living the experience

Current students can offer a different kind of perspective from an official university page. They may describe what a typical weekend looks like, how they settled into accommodation, which campus activities helped them meet people or what surprised them about daily life. Their experience is personal rather than universal, but it can help you ask more informed questions.

The IDP Student Community also offers student stories and updates through its Feed, so you can explore real experiences before deciding whom you want to speak with. Keep a clear distinction in mind: peer insight is helpful for day-to-day life; official university, visa and immigration sources remain the right place to confirm rules and requirements.

4. Join a conversation with a purpose

It can feel awkward to join an online group with no idea what to say. Give yourself a small purpose instead. Ask a question about arrival, orientation, accommodation, student societies or a practical detail you are already researching.

For example, if housing is on your mind, you could read these questions to ask about student accommodation first, then ask a current student which question mattered most in their own search. If you are comparing budgets, use this guide to student cost of living by destination to make your question more specific.

5. Attend an online event or join a student chat

A live welcome event, online open day or student chat can feel less pressured. You can listen first, notice what other people ask and contribute when you feel ready. The IDP Student Community includes chat groups where users can talk directly with student ambassadors about university life, campus clubs and local events.

6. Build a first-week plan, not a perfect friendship plan

A pre-arrival connection is only one part of making friends while studying abroad. Give yourself a few low-stakes actions for your first week: attend orientation, introduce yourself to one classmate, join one society meeting and accept one invitation that feels comfortable. The aim is momentum, not a packed social calendar.

You can prepare for the practical side of that first week by reviewing these student accommodation essentials and packing tips for international students. Having the basics organised leaves more room to focus on people and experiences once you arrive.

How to start a conversation with international students online

A respectful, specific message usually works better than a long introduction. Mention what you have in common, ask one answerable question and leave room for the other person to choose whether to reply.

Try one of these conversation starters:

• “Hi, I’m moving to **[city]** in **[month]** to study **[subject]**. What is one thing you wish you had known before arriving?”
• “I saw that you study in **[destination]**. I am preparing to move there and would love to know what helped you feel settled in your first week.”
• “I am interested in **[society, activity or shared interest]** too. Are there any student groups or events you would recommend for someone new?”

Avoid putting pressure on the conversation. One exchange may stay practical, while another may develop naturally over time. Both are worthwhile. It is also sensible to keep personal documents, financial details and sensitive information private, even in a friendly student conversation.

Questions to ask current international students before you go

Knowing what questions to ask students before studying abroad can turn a vague chat into genuinely useful preparation. Pick questions that fit your situation rather than asking every question at once.

Use peer answers as practical perspective. For example, a student can share what worked in their accommodation search, but you should still confirm housing policies and application deadlines with the university. The same principle applies to student work, visas, academic rules and healthcare.

How to use IDP Student Community before you leave

If you want a focused way to meet international students before you arrive, use the IDP Student Community as part of your preparation.

1. Find a relevant perspective. Use Find Friends to look for student ambassadors by country, subject or shared interests.
2. See daily life through student stories. Explore the Feed for photos, videos, stories and updates from students around the world.
3. Ask one meaningful question. Use chats to ask about a campus club, local event, accommodation experience or first-week routine.
4. Turn the answer into a plan. Add useful ideas to your own arrival checklist, then verify any official requirement with the university or relevant authority.

The Community is free to join. The most useful way to approach it is with curiosity, ask about experiences, listen to different perspectives and use what you learn to prepare better for your own destination.

Connect thoughtfully online

Online connection can make a move feel less anonymous, but it still deserves sensible boundaries. Keep the following principles in mind:

• Protect sensitive information. Do not share documents, financial information, passwords or anything you would not post publicly.
• Verify official matters separately. Ask peers about their experience, but check visas, enrolment, accommodation contracts and university rules through official sources.
• Take your time. You do not need to move a conversation off-platform or agree to meet someone immediately.
• Choose public, comfortable settings. If you decide to meet someone after arrival, choose a public campus event or public venue and tell someone you trust where you will be.

These habits let you stay open to connection while keeping your own comfort and judgement at the centre of the process.

Turn online conversations into real-life friendship after you arrive

How do you make friends during orientation week? Start by following through on the small opportunities that already exist. If you have spoken with someone online, send a simple message when you arrive: “I made it to campus, are you going to the welcome event this week?” If that does not lead anywhere, it is still a useful practice for future conversations.

Orientation, course introductions, accommodation events and student societies create natural reasons to speak to people. Our guide to how to make friends in your first week at university offers more ideas for taking those first steps. Try to attend one event connected to your course and one event connected to an interest outside it. This gives you different routes to meet people without needing to force every interaction into a friendship.

What if friendship takes time?

It is normal for the first days abroad to feel busy, unfamiliar or quieter than you expected. Online chats can create a starting point, but they do not guarantee immediate closeness after arrival. Keep expectations kind and realistic: meeting people is a process, and most students need time to find their rhythm.

If you are dealing with uncertainty, culture shock or the challenge of being new, this guide on dealing with being a new international student can help you think through your next steps. If you need more than peer encouragement, speak with your university’s international office, student services or wellbeing team. You can also learn more about student mental health support and how to get support at university.

Start small and arrive with more confidence

You do not need to know everyone before you move abroad. One useful conversation, one current-student perspective and one plan for your first week can make a real difference to how prepared you feel. Start small, be respectful, and give connections time to grow once you arrive.

If you are ready to hear directly from students who are already living the experience, you can join the IDP Student Community. It is free to join and gives you a space to explore student stories, ask questions and connect with student ambassadors before you begin your own journey.

FAQ

Q1. How do international students make friends?

International students often make friends through orientation, classes, student societies, accommodation events, group projects and shared interests. Before departure, you can begin by joining university-led welcome spaces, speaking with current students and finding other new students who share your destination or subject.

Q2. Can I make friends before moving abroad?

Yes. You can make early connections by joining student communities, attending online welcome events and starting low-pressure conversations with students who are already abroad or preparing to leave. Focus on building familiarity and learning about the destination rather than expecting instant close friendships.

Q3. How do I meet people before studying abroad?

Look for university-led online events, course or intake groups, student ambassador programmes and peer communities. Connect around one shared detail then ask one specific question to begin the conversation.

Q4. Is it hard to make friends when studying abroad?

It can take time, particularly while you are adjusting to a new place, routine and culture. Starting conversations before you leave can make the transition feel less unfamiliar, but the most important step is continuing to show up after arrival through orientation, classes, student groups and everyday invitations.

Q5. Where can I meet other international students online?

You can look for university-led welcome spaces, official course or intake groups, and student ambassador communities. The IDP Student Community is one option for connecting with current international students, viewing student stories and asking practical questions about life abroad.