The Worthgate School is an inclusive, welcoming community where many international student friendships are formed. On International Day of Friendship, we hear from our students on their experiences making friends at The Worthgate School.
Common International Student Worry
Many international students worry about making new friends when they arrive at their new school or university. It can feel overwhelming, especially as students are often using their second or third language to communicate with their new peers.
Knowing that this is a common worry can be helpful, but many students search online for tips for making friends. The best tip for making international student friendships: join any community activities, clubs and social events that interest you.
At The Worthgate School, our diverse calendar of activities creates many opportunities to socialise and find new friends. From academic clubs to sports and the arts, students can continue with existing passions or discover new ones and will likely find good friends with shared interests too. Further, our Activities Team, in collaboration with our Boarding Team, coordinate community events, such as games nights and BBQs that offer chances to socialise. Our community is welcoming and inclusive, with many students building strong, long-lasting friendships with their classmates.
Student Experiences
“My favourite thing about studying the UK is I get to meet different people because learning about new cultures is like really important to me.”
Ada, Nigeria
“The boarding staff, they actually really helped in finding friends and including the activities and different exercises they invite us to, so we can meet new people …”
Anastasiia, Russia
“My favourite moment was when we had a s’mores night with everyone. Everyone was around the fire and we were doing s’mores and it was fun.”
Sara, Kosovo
“I think Canterbury is a very nice city for students. And I think The Worthgate School is very diverse and you get to make a lot of connections and interactions with different people.”
David, Nigeria
” My sister found one of her closest friends from this school, and she’s not from Nigeria, she’s from Russia. It was just nice. So I thought I could meet people too from different places of the world. “
Naomi, Nigeria
Naomi’s siblings attended The Worthgate School too. Their positive experiences influenced Naomi to also attend The Worthgate School.
“I love the community of people we have here. I have made amazing friends here and I’ve had a great time in general.”
Gabi, Brazil
Deciding to study abroad can be daunting. International students face many different challenges but finding friends doesn’t have to be one of them. From clubs and societies to whole school events, The Worthgate School builds opportunities to make friends into school life.
