In my first blog, I shared how my journey as a TMCC international student began. You can read it here. Now, I want to talk about one of the most important parts of studying abroad — making friends in the United States.

Building new friendships in college is not just about who sits next to you in class but more about who makes you feel at home.

Class presents a great opportunity to make new friends, going from “Hey, did you do your homework?” to “Hey, you wanna go to my party this weekend?” will definitely feel like an accomplishment. But, class is not the only way to make friends. There are endless opportunities to meet new people outside of the classroom, from joining clubs to campus events.

For me some of my friendships started at the TMCC orientation where I met two of my best friends here in Reno, Rocio and Flor. It’s not only that they are also international students and speak the same language as me, it’s also crazy to think how we all ended up here in Reno, Nevada and were able to connect even though we come from different cultures.

My First Friendship in the U.S.

My first good American friend was Anna. Our cultures were so different, but somehow we turned out to be really good friends.

We both liked the same music and would blast our favorite songs when we were in her car. Being her friend taught me a lot about how, even though we came from different backgrounds, we could still understand each other and share our cultures.

We used to paint, watch movies together and go out to try new things. And this is how it’s been with most of my friends from here, always showing me new places and making me feel at home.

From all of these friends, I’ve learned that there are so many new places and experiences here in Reno, from new coffee shops to paddle boarding at lake tahoe (would recommend). It is definitely a great time and a bonding experience with people that appreciate you.

Building Your Circle One Conversation at a Time

When you move somewhere new, every conversation can open a door. Whether it's asking a classmate how to do the homework or how their day was, you can build a friendship one conversation at a time. Every. Conversation. Counts.

It might feel a little awkward at first, but what can you lose? Everyone is always waiting for someone to take the first step, and, let’s be honest, we are all looking for true meaningful connections.

Talking to other people and putting yourself out there is the best way to connect with other people. And who knows? You could even end up being best friends in the near future.

Adjusting to Slang and American Online Culture

Making friends in the US was easy and hard at the same time. I had to learn words that were not in my English vocabulary just so I could understand and keep up with the conversations.

I started using “hella” and “fire” without even trying and don’t even get me started with “bro” because I feel like I say it a thousand times a day.

After being here for a couple of months or even weeks you start to realize how chronically online almost everyone is. There are references that you might not understand, but everyone is always willing to show you to get a laugh out of you.

Slowly you will start to understand and even reference some of the vines or tiktoks that everybody talks about.

I have found such good friendships here in the US and even though I am not home, the friendships that I've made here have helped me through my stay.

And since you readers are already challenging yourself with a new experience by being or becoming international students, I know you’ll thrive making friends and living the best life as an F1 student.

Danna Iguchi is an international student from Peru studying at at Truckee Meadows Community College, Reno, Nevada.