Making Friends at Uni: The (Un)Expected Journey

by Charisa Albert

When I got my unconditional offer to study at the University of Leeds, I packed up my life in Nigeria, hopped on a plane, and landed on a completely different continent, I thought, "This is it. My social life is over." I mean, I was moving miles away from friends and family. Was I scared? Anxious? Stress-eating my favourite snacks at the airport? Oh, absolutely.

The whole thing felt like stepping into the great unknown — cue dramatic music. Now, you're probably expecting a "BUT..." And you’d be right! But, before you start imagining me walking into a room and instantly becoming everyone's best friend like a movie montage... it wasn’t that easy. There is no magical spell that turns strangers into friends or BFFs, unfortunately.

I did get lucky, though. Did I stay in on-campus accommodation, and my flatmates? Absolute legends. We hit it off over baking sessions and game nights (which, yes, sometimes got competitive enough to feel like the Hunger Games). We needed to take the time to get to know each other. We all knew each other’s pet peeves. Learning more about each other made us more respectful of each other, kept the communal spaces clean, and saved us from passive-aggressive Post-it notes.

Pro tip: If you're looking to meet people, joining clubs or societies is the way to go. They’ve got everything — from sports, arts, and academics to faith and culture-based ones. I ended up joining the Nigerian Student Society, and suddenly I had a crew that felt like family.

Honestly, it was like a home away from home.

But I didn’t stop there! I also joined societies related to my passions and interests, like student television and radio. I love content creation, video editing, and film production, so these were perfect for me. Bonus: I started a podcast with my friend Anisah (shoutout to her!) where we got to chat with all sorts of cool people. We even had a member of the Palestine Society come on to educate us about the history behind the Gaza conflicts, which led to some deep, meaningful discussions. And, of course, we roped in our friends for fun conversations about being international students just figuring out life in England — accent confusion and all.

I also joined my business school society. Not only did I meet people in my course, but we formed study groups. And trust me, there’s nothing like an overnight coffee-fueled study session to bond you for life. I truly believe that no matter where we all end up after uni, we’ll still be cracking inside jokes about that one time someone spilled coffee on their laptop during an exam season crisis.

So, here’s the real takeaway: Keep an open mind, be brave, and try new things. Making friends doesn’t always come easy, but it’s worth it. Who knows? You might just find your people — whether it’s over a game of Uno, deep debates on the latest political crisis, or commiserating about how impossible it is to cook a proper meal in a student kitchen.