Exchange & Erasmus guide

How to make friends before you arrive on exchange

Updated June 2026 · 7-step guide

The hardest part of a semester abroad is rarely the studying — it's walking into a new city where you don't know a single person. The good news: you don't have to wait until you land. Here's how to start building your circle before you fly, so day one feels less like square one.

Why the first weeks decide your semester

Friend groups abroad form astonishingly fast. In the first two or three weeks, everyone is new, nervous, and actively looking for people — by week four, the groups have mostly settled. If you arrive already in touch with a handful of people, you skip the loneliest stretch entirely and step straight into a forming circle.

That's why the students who have the best exchanges tend to do the same thing: they start connecting weeks before they get on the plane. None of the steps below require you to be outgoing or fluent — just early.

7 steps to make friends before you arrive

1. Join the official student channels

   Track down your university's exchange buddy programme, your local Erasmus Student Network (ESN) section, and the Facebook or WhatsApp groups for your specific intake. This is where most exchange students gather first — and where welcome events get announced.

2. Find students heading to your exact city

   Big group chats are noisy and easy to disappear into. The real shortcut is narrowing down to people tied to your destination city and semester, so you can start one-to-one conversations. That's exactly what Exchange Connect is for: set your city, discover other exchange students going there, and save the ones you'd like to meet.

3. Reach out before you fly

   Send a few short, low-pressure messages built around something you actually share — the same course, the same arrival week, a hobby in their profile. You're aiming for a friendly hello and maybe a loose plan, not a life story.

4. Sort the boring logistics early

   Lock down housing, a local SIM, and your airport-to-accommodation route before you land. Every bit of admin you clear in advance is time freed up for meeting people during the crucial first week instead of queuing at an office.

5. Say yes to every orientation event

   Welcome weeks, campus tours, city walks and buddy meetups exist precisely because everyone is new and wants to connect. Go to as many as you can in the first fortnight — this is the easiest social environment you'll ever get.

6. Lead with shared interests, not small talk

   Join a sports team, a language tandem, a climbing gym, or a club around something you already enjoy. Shared activities build friendships far faster than repeating "so, where are you from?" at every party.

7. Turn online chats into real first-day plans

   An online hello only counts once it becomes a coffee, a grocery run, or a walk in your first 48 hours. Make the loose plan before you arrive so it's waiting for you — being there early beats being perfectly prepared.

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting until you land. By the time you arrive, the most motivated people have already started talking. Begin two to four weeks out.

Only befriending people from your own country. It's comfortable, but it's also how exchanges turn into a bubble. Mix other exchange students with locals you meet through clubs and tandems.

Sending one generic "hey" to fifty people. A handful of specific, personal messages beats a mass blast every time — and feels far better to receive.

FAQ

Read next: Your first week abroad: a survival checklist →