Loneliness is a grave issue in Canada. Someone like myself who is an international student studying remotely has maybe not had to face this issue yet. The reality is that while it’s possible to interact enough with people to build trust and make friends online, it’s extremely difficult.
The trust level now for online dating or making friends is better than it was 20 years ago. But it’s still not enough as the number of online scammers and voice phishers has increased. So it actually is quite difficult to make friends in college or Canada while sitting at home. The process will really begin when I land in Canada.
I’ve seen various vlogs of international students who shared their initial social experience in Canada—almost everyone had a breakdown because of loneliness and homesickness after moving to Canada.
Making friends is not really as easy as it would seem. It takes effort and you have to try to take initiative. I’ve made a couple of friends. I met my Indian friends from class; I really didn’t make friends from Canada because we never saw each other. Even in online classes, we only heard each other’s voices. It was always small talks between us.
Honestly, I have international friends who I met through social platforms like Facebook, where I met my German and Vietnamese friends through the “Friends of Camosun International” Facebook group. Other good places to start meeting people online are through following Camosun’s pages on social media, other Victoria-related Instagram pages, or even LinkedIn, where you can try to connect with alumni and current students.
One more option is Hinge. It’s a dating app, but it’s actually decent and you can make good friends there. Here’s a pro tip: if you aren’t in Victoria yet, make sure to put your location as Victoria on that app, but you just need to be honest with the other person and explain your situation properly.
If you haven’t volunteered for any social clubs from Camosun, it’s time: you can give it a try. It’s a place where you can meet people who are working for the same thing that you will want to.
I know it might come out as desperation right now, but if you look from my perspective, it’s normal. I’m sure there are currently hundreds of international students who are really stuck and confused, and losing hope, especially those from India. If we start connecting and building a decent network sitting at home right now, I think it will be amazing.
If we can study remotely, can’t we make friends remotely? Yes, we definitely can!