How to meet new people and make friends at Lancaster as an international student

When I first arrived at Lancaster, I felt two things: excitement and absolutely no idea how to make friends outside awkward seminar introductions. You know the kind — “What course are you on?” followed by silence while everyone pretends to check Moodle.

But after a bit of trial and error (and a few socially brave moments), I realised Lancaster is actually packed with ways to meet people. Some are obvious, some are unexpected, and some involve embarrassing levels of sweating.

Here are the places and experiences that genuinely helped me build friendships in Lancaster.

1. I danced my way into friendships at BodyJam

One of the best decisions I made was joining a BodyJam Les Mills class at the sports centre.

The BodyJam class is a group exercise class, in which you can dance in a mix of different types with the fitness instructor. The dance styles include Zumba, ballet, and urban dance. It is now my fourth year in the BodyJam class. To be frank, I did not go because I’m naturally coordinated. I went because I thought, “maybe moving around aggressively to loud music will cure loneliness.” Surprisingly, it kind of worked.

In the BodyJam class, everyone starts confidently and ends up making questionable arm movements while trying to survive the cardio! The atmosphere is fun, chaotic, and very non-judgemental.

What I loved most was how easy it became to recognise people each week. After a few classes, casual smiles turned into conversations, and conversations turned into post-workout coffee plans.

Also, struggling through choreography together creates instant emotional bonding.

2. Becoming a student ambassador helped me meet people

I honestly didn’t expect a part-time campus job to become one of the biggest sources of friendship for me.

Working as a student ambassador meant helping out during open days, campus tours, and university events. At first, I applied because I wanted to get some extra money. Then I realised the real benefit was meeting students from completely different courses and backgrounds.

The shifts were surprisingly social, and because everyone worked together repeatedly, friendships formed naturally instead of feeling forced.

Plus, there’s something deeply bonding about surviving awkward small talk with prospective students together.

3. Getting involved in the local community changed everything

I first went to the Haffner Orchestra performance on campus. It was a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. After the concert, I spoke to the staff for the orchestra, who worked in the box office on that day. She asked me if I was a student and would like to get involved with the next performance as a volunteer. I said, “why not?”

It turned out to be one of the most exciting experiences I have had in the local community. I genuinely think volunteering is one of the easiest ways to meet kind, grounded people. There’s less pressure, fewer awkward introductions, and more natural conversation because everyone is focused on doing something useful together.

Also, talking to people outside the university bubble can be really refreshing. Sometimes it’s nice to discuss literally anything other than deadlines.

If you’re doing a PhD, you’ll know how easy it is to accidentally disappear into your research cave for days. I learned very quickly that attending PhD social events wasn’t optional for my sanity.

Coffee meetups, pub nights, writing sessions, and especially hiking days helped me reconnect with actual humans after spending too long staring at journal articles.

The hiking trips were honestly some of my favourite experiences. Walking uphill together in questionable British weather makes conversations flow naturally.

So, finding your own peer social circle definitely helps you find friendships.

What I learned about making friends in Lancaster

The biggest thing I learned is that friendships rarely happen instantly. For me, it was about repeatedly showing up: going back to the same class, saying yes to events, staying after activities to chat, and occasionally pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

Lancaster ended up feeling much smaller and friendlier once I became part of different communities instead of waiting for friendships to magically appear.

So, if you’re new here and feeling unsure: try the class, apply for the campus job, join the society, volunteer, or go on the hike.

It might feel awkward at first—but honestly, everyone else is figuring it out too.