Finding Friends

Connecting with Others During Your Studies

Making friends during your studies is actually more important than you might think. They give you support, increase your motivation, and can also help you through difficult phases. And by the way, this doesn’t just apply to first-year students — all students benefit from having a friendly social environment.

In addition, not only connections within your own degree program or year can be helpful. Building a network around the university and its different campuses can also benefit your future.
If you want to know what’s happening on your campus and others, take a look at the Events!

10 Tips for Making Friends

Source: jobmensa article, Apr. 06, 2023

1. Don’t Go Home Every Weekend
   If you come from another region or country and everything at your place of study feels unfamiliar, it’s completely understandable to feel homesick. Still, you should at least try not to leave immediately all the time, otherwise you might miss out on opportunities to make new experiences and memories with your fellow students.
2. Take Advantage of Events
   Especially during the first weeks of the winter semester, there are many introductory and get-to-know-you events. These are a great opportunity for first-semester students to meet other freshmen.
   Throughout the academic year, FH Upper Austria also offers various events that you can take part in. This is especially useful if you want to meet students from different years.
3. Be Open and Smile
   It may sound insignificant, but it makes a big difference. A friendly smile, looking around instead of only at your phone, and greeting others politely can already make people see you as approachable and friendly. That’s at least a good start for a future friendship.
4. Sports as a Social Connector
   Sports bring people together because you share a common goal and spend time together regularly. This can be through smaller activities like going jogging together or playing table tennis, but team sports especially can connect entire groups.
   FH Upper Austria offers a wide range of sports activities for students.
   Nothing that interests you? The JKU’s USI program offers great opportunities for students in Austria.
5. Get to Know Your Neighbors in Student Housing
   Different kinds of people live closely together in student residences. Shared common areas create opportunities for people to meet and get to know one another.
6. Go to (Freshers’) Parties
   The cliché of party-loving students does have some truth to it. While it can be difficult to meet completely new people at parties, they are a great way to strengthen existing connections.
   Important: This doesn’t mean you have to attend every party, but it can help to step outside your comfort zone and at least experience it once.
7. Explore the City
   Especially if you moved to Upper Austria from farther away to study, you might not yet realize how much your university town or the nearest city has to offer. Exploring the area could make for a great day trip, either alone or with fellow students who may also be unfamiliar with the area — or who could even give you a personal city tour.
   By the way, did you know that Linz, the capital of Upper Austria, has many hidden side quests? If you want to stay informed, check out @sidequestlinz on Instagram!
8. Be Communicative — but Not Pushy
   Communication creates closeness. Ask if you can join someone, compare assignments with others, and try to be open and start conversations. But also respect boundaries: if someone doesn’t want to talk to you or become friends, you have to accept that. There are plenty of other students who will surely appreciate getting to know you.
9. Shared Apartment Instead of Living Alone
   For many people, university is the first time they move out of their family home and stop living with their parents. Even though it can take courage to move in with people who are strangers at first, this is also a wonderful opportunity to build friendships and meet new people. In a shared apartment, you spend a lot of time together and learn about other people’s lifestyles and habits. With a bit of luck, this can turn into a lifelong friendship.
10. Be Patient and Keep Trying
    Not every acquaintance immediately becomes a friendship — and that’s perfectly fine. Respect other people’s boundaries and keep putting yourself out there; you’ll see that this is how the best friendships are formed.
    Also remember that relationships change. You don’t have to stay friends with the same people throughout your entire time at university. You meet new people, lose contact with others, or simply realize that you’re too different — and that’s okay and completely normal. The right people will come into your life; just try to stay open to new experiences!

More tips and information