Hello everyone. I’m @olivertomolife and I’ve studied abroad in Sydney!
There are a lot of things to worry about when studying abroad, but I’m sure there are many people who are worried about making friends.
I was not a very social person, but by paying attention to certain things, I was able to dramatically change my attitude.
If you are planning to study abroad or are currently studying abroad, this is a must-see!
- You have just arrived in Sydney and don’t have many friends.
- Want to make friends in Sydney
- I want to know where I can make friends in Sydney.
- 5 Ways to Make Friends in Sydney!
- How to Prepare for Studying Abroad
- Let’s have a better understanding of your own country.
I studied abroad in Sydney for a year starting in 2018. I am currently writing a blog about my experience.
By reading this post, you’ll be on your way to making friends in Sydney!
Five ways to make friends in Sydney!
The truth is, your life as an exchange student is filled with so many opportunities to meet people!
It would be a shame not to take advantage of the opportunities that are available in your everyday life, so I am going to introduce some places that I especially recommend.
1 Homestay
For many people, homestay is the first place they arrive at after coming abroad.
Some families that accept international students may have more than one student in their home.
If you meet other students, be willing to talk to them!
They may be anxious about being new to a foreign country, too, so it should be easy to open up to them!
It’s also a great way to practice your language skills, so don’t miss the chance!
If you are worried about homestay, I also recommend the following article.
2 Share house
Many people move into a new share house after finishing their homestay, so there are great opportunities to meet people.
It depends on the owner and the size of the house, but since there are many different nationalities living in the house, you can always interact with them.
I lived in two share houses during my time in Sydney, and I made friends in both.
When I had a home party at home, it was fun to eat all kinds of food!
There are a lot of friendly people in share houses, so be sure to talk to them!
If you would like to know more about finding a share house, I also recommend the following article.
3 Language School
Personally, I think this is the easiest place to make friends.
I personally think it is the easiest place to make friends because there are many courses where classes are held with a fixed number of students.
There are some courses where new students join every week, but many students take exam preparation classes as their language improves, so the classes are held with the same members every week.
When I was taking the exam preparation lessons, I studied with the same students for three months, so I had drinks and went to events with my classmates!
I still keep in touch with those friends.
If you have any questions about language schools in Sydney, I recommend the following articles.
4 Part-time job
In Australia, both student visas and working holiday visas allow you to work part-time.
There are some restrictions on student visas, but you can work up to 20 hours a week.
Many people work part-time while studying abroad, so there are many opportunities to meet people.
I go to work regularly, so there are chances to make friends!
I also remember that my part-time friends used to help me with my homework.
If you are having trouble finding a part-time job in Australia, the following article is also recommended.
5 Language Exchange Meetings
In Sydney, language exchange events are often held using app meetup.
At those events, there are local people there, so you can interact with Australians too!
I met an Aussie who loves Japan at one of these events, and he took me to various places.
I met a Japan-loving Aussie at the event and he showed me around.
There is no one who knows you in this place, so you should be more sociable.
These words were like a knife in my heart.
After that, I started to talk to other people myself, and I am still grateful to him.
I’m sure you too can find someone at a social gathering who can inspire you to change!
Think of it as an action rather than a thought, and join in!
How to Prepare for Studying Abroad
First of all, living abroad is not something that everyone can do.
Therefore, you should start by having confidence in yourself that you are able to study abroad!
As you gain confidence, your personality will gradually change, and you will naturally start making friends.
As a basic part of your life, it is very important to keep this idea in the back of your mind.
I myself was not very sociable before I came to Japan, but by changing my way of thinking, I was able to meet many people.
So, give yourself a pat on the back!
Deepen your understanding of your own country!
Once you have the basics down, the next step is to have a good understanding of your own country.
The reason for this is that the other person is interested in your country.
In my actual experience, the topic of each country always comes up in conversation.
In some cases, the other person may know more about your country than you do.
In fact, I’m often asked by my foreign friends about Japanese anime, and since I don’t know much about it myself, I’ve learned a lot from them lol.
If you don’t know anything about the country you were born in, they might be confused.
To avoid that, know the bare minimum!
For example, I suggest knowing the history, population, culture and music.
As for my experience, I was not very familiar with Japanese anime, culture, politics, etc., so I made an effort to learn a little bit about it while I was studying abroad…
I hope you all will be careful not to end up like me.
Summary
- There are opportunities to meet people in your life.
- Know at least a little about your own country.
- Take action rather than thinking.
I’ve introduced 5 ways to make friends in Sydney!
Everyone starts out studying abroad the same way, so I believe that you can make friends little by little.
I will keep sending you more information about Australia, so please stay tuned.
Thank you for reading to the end!
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