International and Local Students: Why Studying Together Doesn’t Always Mean Connecting

University brings together people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds. For international students, it can be an opportunity to discover a new country, experience different perspectives and build friendships that last long after graduation. For local students, it offers the chance to meet people whose experiences and worldviews may be very different from their own.

Yet, despite sharing lecture halls, group projects and campus facilities, international and local students do not always connect.

They may study alongside each other for months without ever getting to know one another beyond a name or a familiar face. So, if university brings everyone together, why can building connections across cultures still be so difficult?

Familiar faces, separate social circles

Starting university often means finding your place in an unfamiliar environment. Naturally, students tend to gravitate towards people they feel comfortable with.

For international students, that might mean connecting with others who speak the same language, share similar cultural references or understand what it is like to settle into a new country. Local students may already have established friendships, know their way around campus and feel more comfortable navigating everyday social situations.

Neither is unusual. Finding people who understand your experiences can provide a sense of familiarity and belonging.

However, these natural tendencies can also lead to separate social circles. International students spend time with other international students, while local students continue socialising with people they already know.

Everyone may be friendly, but meaningful connections between the two groups remain limited.

The small barriers that make a difference

Building friendships across cultures does not necessarily require major differences in language or values to overcome. Often, it is the small things that make connecting more difficult.

Language confidence is one example. Even when everyone speaks English, some students may feel less comfortable joining fast-moving group conversations, making jokes or expressing themselves spontaneously. Others may worry about making mistakes or being misunderstood.

Different social habits can also play a role. What feels like a natural invitation to one person might seem unusual to another. Some students are accustomed to making plans well in advance, while others prefer spontaneous activities. Expectations around directness, humour and personal space can differ, too.

Then there is the simple question of opportunity. If students only interact during lectures or assigned group projects, their conversations may never move beyond academic work.

None of these barriers necessarily reflects a lack of interest. Sometimes, people simply need a reason and an opportunity to take that first step.

Connection starts with shared experiences

One of the easiest ways to connect with someone from a different background is to find something you have in common.

It does not have to be a big conversation about culture or an attempt to learn everything about another country. It could be discovering that you both enjoy the same sport, love cooking, listen to similar music or want to explore the city.

Shared interests offer a natural starting point. They give people something to talk about without the pressure of having to make a great first impression.

Universities can help create these opportunities by organising activities that bring students together around common interests rather than nationality alone. Sports, creative workshops, cultural outings and informal meetups can encourage interaction in a more relaxed setting.

Students can also take small steps themselves: inviting someone from another country to join a lunch break, asking a classmate about their weekend or suggesting an activity outside the classroom.

These gestures may seem insignificant, but friendships often begin with precisely these kinds of everyday interactions.

Universities can do more than bring students together

Internationalisation is often measured through exchange numbers, international enrolments and partnerships with institutions abroad. These are important indicators, but they do not necessarily tell us whether students are building meaningful connections with one another.

A genuinely international campus is not simply one where people from different countries study in the same place. It is one where they have opportunities to learn from each other, participate in shared experiences and feel that they belong.

That requires more than a welcome event during the first week of the semester. It means creating opportunities for interaction throughout the academic year, encouraging collaboration beyond assigned coursework and making activities accessible to students who might otherwise stick to familiar circles.

Digital platforms can support this by helping students discover fellow students, shared interests and activities they might not encounter in their everyday routines. The real value comes when these online introductions lead to conversations and experiences in person.

A more connected university experience

Studying alongside people from different backgrounds does not automatically lead to cross-cultural friendships. Meaningful connections need opportunities, shared experiences and a little initiative from everyone involved.

The good news is that getting started does not have to be complicated. A conversation after class, an invitation to join an activity or a shared interest can open the door to a friendship that might never have happened otherwise.

For international students, these connections can make a new country feel more familiar. For local students, they can offer new perspectives and experiences much closer to home than they might expect.

And for universities, they are an important part of creating a community where diversity is not just visible, but genuinely experienced.

At Studinty, we believe that making friends should not be left to chance. Because bringing students together is only the beginning. Helping them discover the people they might connect with is what makes the experience meaningful.