Tips of making friends with people from UK and being native


Surprisingly, a Chinese with very few Chinese friends but a lot of British friends. " Jiayue, you know," said my manager," you are really different from other Chinese,you are too easygoing and too native now." Yes, that's me. I have been to UK for only 2 years and half, but I think myself getting along with local people in a 'China developing rate'. If you are fresher coming to UK, you probably find people here are a bit 'too polite and somehow cold'. However, that is absolutely not the real case. Most of them are extremely easy going and kind, but you do need some tips to make sure getting along well with them. I am now sharing my tips and experience with you, hopefully you will find them useful.


Tip one: free yourself from your little prison!
 So many international students lock themselves inside their rooms, watching tele, eat in ,only go out occasionally with people from their own country... Stop doing that please! You have to join in more clubs, activities and talk to people if you wish to be native! British will not make friends with you in your lecture theater. Don't worry about your English is not perfect, even now my manager can't understand me sometimes, but trust me, British will not mind at all , when they see your effort trying to get in, they will help you with whatever they can, so just try your best to explain until they can understand.


Tip 2: Behaviour!
UK is a country in which manner does matter all the time. Say "sorry " even if you are stepped by others, open the door for the people coming after you, smile to everyone once having accidental eye contact; Be warm-heart all the time (because that is the way British people treat others!), help whoever need help, keep your voice down, wait for others even if you are in a rush.


Tip 3: drunk yourself!
I was such a nice behaved chickabiddy when I was in China. My mom would definitely like to kill me if she noticed how many times I have got myself deadly drunk after being to UK. You don't have to get that drunk if you don't feel like to. However, pub is a good place to relax, talk to local people, listen to UK culture. And importantly, you will find someone who have the same hobbies as you and quickly become friends with each other. But trust me, every British people don't mind getting drunk. Try to drunk yourself if possible, it feels so good!


Tip 4: Aha! Gossip.
It doesn't sound like a good thing but does worth well trying. I have learnt so many native (dirty) words from gossiping with other girls, from which I think is an alternative way making me native. Don't trust people who told you " you will offend British if you try to gossip", every girl likes gossiping all over the world. However, don't over do it, otherwise people probably start worrying if you will gossip everyone behind them.  


Tip 5: Don't give up if you fail several times after trying.
Don't get jealous about me making local friends so quickly. I had my first year and half with no friends, no social, no sense of being. I had tried several times  talking to them before, but because of my English was too rubbish to understand, and I live alone at that time, I failed so many times and felt so lonely. However, just don't give up and keep on trying, wait for good chances to get in. Your communication skill will improve a lot only by trying to talk to local people. In a sunny morning you will suddenly find yourself have had so many local friends :)


Tip 6: I know it's really difficult, but try to spend less time with clumps of people from the same country as you.
I assume everyone likes to stay together with their own people. And it is completely understandable it's scary and hard to dump yourself into a new, unfamiliar group, maybe speaking another language as well. However, after pushing myself into the local group , I found they are completely different from what I thought about them before, and surprisingly easygoing of all of them. Besides, my English is improved so quick that myself is a bit shocked. Thus there are nothing to be terrified, but please try: keep half of your friend population as the people from your country, another half as native British. 


Tip 7: Be Broad-minded. 
Because UK is such a broad-minded country, you probably find out the culture here is highly mixed, everyone lives in different ways. I think it's necessary to accept this and stop assuming everyone should live the same as you or people from your country. There is no absolutely right or wrong.  As for myself, as long as the person is nice and warm-hearted to me, I would definitely like to make friends with him/her despite him/her having something may look 'weird'.  

UK is a country making every single dream comes true. The only thing I can do for her now is being really nice to her people and being helpful all the time. And hopefully you find these tips useful. Enjoy your UK life!

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