Hey all,
All my life I was in India, hardly travelling or going to other cities other than my own. I’m a very comfortable person in my own circle but a bit conscious and shy when it comes to meet new people, especially peers.
We moved to Dubai last month, though the place is pretty cool and amazing, I still have not been able to make much friends here.
This year I’ll be starting wiith my college and have already applied for [mechanical engineering](https://www.uowdubai.ac.ae/bachelor-engineering-mechanical) in [University of Wollongong, Dubai](https://www.uowdubai.ac.ae)
I’m really worried if I’ll be able to make friends or will be able to find the comfort I had back there here in Dubai.
Can you share some tips on as to how to adjust to this situation and form a new circle from scratch?
One of the times in life when people are most open to meeting new people is when they enter university, so take advantage of this. Once you get to university, really put yourself out there. Join clubs and activities that seem interesting to you, and do more than just show up for meetings. If you are in a student hall of residence or a student hostel, and the building has activities, then go to them. When you get to a lecture, say hi to the people sitting near you and introduce yourself. Ask them a basic question like if they’ve purchased the book yet, or if this is their first year. It’s by being around others with similar interests that friendships can form.
I dont’ know how the culture of colleges is in Dubai, but here are some ideas:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1808143-having-trouble-adjusting-to-college-making-friends-top-10-things-to-do.html
I moved from the US to Germany for college, so I was in a similar place as you.
I’m also not familiar with the college culture in Dubai, but I would say the number one thing that worked for me is to “fake it til you make it,” especially as an introvert. The first few weeks, I forced myself to take part in events, eat lunch with large groups of classmates, etc. Over time, everybody will start to settle in and you’ll find people you feel comfortable around.
As for settling into the country and city: take advantage of social networking. Social forums like Facebook groups, Reddit, and even searching up relevant hashtags on Instagram really helped me get to know what the city had to offer.