Friends in Far Places

My first year at RIT was 2020...COVID. Everything was shut down, and besides a few kids in the sailing club, the only person I knew on campus was my roommate. In the fall of my second year, things began to open a little, but it seemed like everyone had already found their friend groups. Then, that spring, I headed off to Dublin, Ireland.

I studied at University College Dublin, where a friend of mine from high school went there full time. That connection made it easier to make friends, but we both had busy schedules. Also, just by chance, another student from RIT was there that I didn’t know before. Since the COVID rules were beginning to relax, my classes were either hybrid or online, which didn’t help me to meet people. I went on my program through Arcadia, and they were very helpful throughout the whole process and planned many wonderful excursions. However, the best part was that a group of people were all in the same boat as me. Although no one enjoys icebreakers, we eventually became good friends, even with people attending neighboring universities in Dublin.

Still, I wanted to branch out more, so I decided to join the wind sailing club. It wasn’t that easy because I wasn’t in the system for the website that is used for their clubs, but I saw their email and just reached out to them directly. It was amazing! We traveled across the country with the club, stayed in Airbnb's together, surfed, went sightseeing, and just had fun.

The UCD club sailing in Castlegregory

There were also school-led trips the university would offer for all students. In one of those many school emails we all receive, sometimes there are interesting ones, so I recommend paying attention to your inbox. Otherwise, I would’ve never visited County Cork and the beautiful seaside town of Kinsale. I didn’t know who would be on the trip, but I believe some Arcadia students went. A couple of hours on a bus is an excellent conversation opportunity. If you find yourself on an awkward school trip or situation, chances are you are not the only one who feels uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid to start up some small chat.

Right after exams in Dublin, I headed to Rennes, France, to go on an RIT faculty-lead program to study at INSA University. There was a group of 10 RIT students and a group of international students on the program. In France, it was harder to mix with the local students because, after the first weekend we arrived, all the full-time students went home for their summer holiday. This meant our group spent all our time together and became close. Now that I am back on campus, I am still friends with the people I met in France. We took an Engineering Economy course and French classes on the program in France. However, the best French class is just going around the city and talking to people. It can be a bit scary to speak a new language to locals, especially since the French don’t have the nicest reputation, but you’ll find most stereotypes are wrong. Everyone there desperately wanted to speak French to me, even though I’m sure my grammar stunk because, on average, they were afraid to speak English since they were worried about their grammar! What’s the worst that could happen if you forget to conjugate a verb? The worst thing you can do is regret not trying.

Me (top left) with international students in the center of Rennes, France

When I returned from France a week later, I was at a co-op in South Carolina for the fall. I gained a lot of good work experience, and then, for the fall, three weeks later, I was off to RIT Dubai for the spring semester. There is a lot of prejudice towards the Middle East in America. Some people do in-depth research about the places they are going to go. However, I didn’t want to get someone else’s point of view and have my mind made up before I arrived. So, I didn't do too much research, but I knew one other Rochester RIT student would be there. When I arrived, I learned two students from RIT Croatia were studying at RIT Dubai for the semester. We had a lot of fun on excursions, and the other Rochester student and I bonded and are still great friends. As a Mechanical Engineering major, our curriculum is quite structured, but I was in the same classes with many Dubai-based students who were also MECEs. I made a mission to make at least one friend in each class. I didn’t have to be besties with them, just someone to talk to in the hallways.

There was so much to do in Dubai! I love cricket and saw an upcoming match with a player I like, so I asked two friends if they were interested in attending the match. It was so much fun. We got selected from the crowd and moved to VIP seating, and the two guys became good friends all semester long. There were also planned excursions for us in Dubai, including a day where we spent the day in the desert and made new friends.

Me (middle) with two friends at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium

It can seem challenging to make friends abroad, but you have the world’s easiest opening line: “Hi, I’m studying abroad here from....” It is a great conversation starter! And no, not everyone will become your friend, but reach out to as many people as you can while traveling to make it as fun as possible. Instagram/social media is a wonderful way to stay in touch with people after you return home and remember all the fun you had while you were away.

Elizabeth Barron is a Mechanical Engineering major who studied abroad three times while at RIT: at University College Dublin in spring 2022; INSA Summer: Engineering and French Society RIT faculty-led program in summer 2022; and at RIT Dubai in spring 2023.