You’ve just moved to a new city and you know nobody. This thought is either exciting or terrifying depending on whether you are extroverted or introverted. See this opportunity as a positive challenge – you will meet great people in no time!
Here are 12 tips from Spotahome which will help you to make friends in a new city…
1. Embrace social networks…
Aside from joining local Facebook groups, there are plenty of websites that have been created for the sole purpose of establishing friendships.
Meetup.com – From language practising groups to guitar-learning sessions in the park, you will find an activity and a group of people that interests you.
Tinder has a bad name because most people refer to it as a shallow dating app. If you establish that you are on it just to make friends or practise a language, you will come across someone who will meet you for a casual coffee.
2. Pester your friends for their contacts…
Many of your friends will have moved to another city at some point and understand what it is like to feel alone. Chances are, somebody will have at least one contact in your adoptive city who you can meet up with. This will help you to network as soon as you arrive in your new city.
3. Volunteer…
As a student, it can be difficult to integrate yourself into the local community. If you’ve never tried it before, now is the time to join a local volunteering group. This way, you can meet local people whilst helping others – what could be better?
4. Say ‘YES’ to everything (within reason)…
Make sure to accept as many invitations as possible once you are in your new city. If you say ‘no’ too often, people will start forgetting to invite you.
5. Be a leader rather than a follower
Try thinking of fun activities and invite your new friends. If you think of interesting things to do, people will think of you as a proactive, positive person who they will want to spend more time with.
6. Start a new hobby…
This may be a cliché, but starting a new hobby or class is a great way to make new friends. Join an activity that is out of your comfort zone – life drawing, break dancing and rollerblading are great examples. You are in a new place, try something different!
7. Think – ‘one day I’ll laugh about this’…
What stories would you tell if everything went according to plan? Turn every disaster into a funny story and repeat this story to new and old friends. This way you will appear care-free and may even find yourself becoming more spontaneous in search of new stories!
8. Live in the moment, not on Skype…
Skype is a fantastic way to stay in touch with loved ones but it can prevent you from making new friends. Even if you’re in a long distance relationship, you should try to socialise with new people in order to feel less nostalgic for home.
9. Beware the language barrier (or not)…
Never be ashamed about learning a new language. Your accent, vocabulary and grammar may not be perfect, but if you make the effort to talk to people in their language, they will be more likely to continue the conversation and you will be fluent in no time.
10. Speak to strangers…
Apart from your immediate family, everybody you know was once a stranger until you first spoke to them. Strike a up a conversation with somebody – even if nothing comes of it, you will develop the invaluable skill of being able to introduce yourself to new people.
Spotahome has discovered Withlocals, a fresh start-up that unites local people with newcomers through the medium of food and cultural activities. What better way to be introduced to a new culture than by sampling native cuisine and finding new things to with locals in different cities?
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Make Friends Withlocals
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