Building a friendship is one of the best things to do as a student abroad but it can be challenging to find friends in a new country. Therefore, I have gathered some tips & tricks that might help you to get in touch with others!
Be Social
Make use of social media. It is one of the most efficient ways to keep in touch with your peers so make sure to be active on social media and add your classmates on various platforms. In my experience, WhatsApp is almost mandatory to have but other platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat also work. Facebook is not as popular as it used to be for the younger generation, so people are not very active there.
The Goin’ App
Another way to connect with more people and build friendships is through installing the Goin’App. It is an interactive app where you can join groups with students who share your interests. It is super easy to use and has a lot of relevant topics for students from any stage of their study. It is completely free to download and use so make sure to have it in your arsenal.
Join a club
Another way of meeting people is to sign up in a place where people share your interest. For example, signing up for a gym or sports club where you will meet with people who share the same passion as yours is always nice. There are plenty of sports facilities you can visit in Apeldoorn, Enschede or Deventer!
Just go for it!
One last tip I would give you is to be bold. Just go out there and be friendly, be talkative, be sociable. One thing I realized in the Netherlands is that people are not as scary as you might think. Everyone is friendly and open to conversation. There are very few cases where you meet people who have a rough day but generally, Dutch people are very friendly and always ready to help you. So just be open for a conversation and leave your shyness behind.
