How to make new friends in your twenties

Let’s be honest, making friends in your twenties is so hard! The majority of people already have their own group of friends, so when you move to a new city this can become a big challenge. Whether you have moved for work or university, making friends as an adult is not an easy task, especially if you’re not the outgoing-type.

Having moved to the UK at 22 alone, I had to make friends in many different ways. In the last 8 years, I have made friends in many different scenarios, some stuck around, some didn’t. Once I reached my late twenties I realised something really important. It doesn’t matter how many friends you have, what matters is the quality of your friendships.

That being said, if you’re moving to a new city or simply just want to make new friends, here are a few ideas for what you can do:

House share

Some of the closest friends I made were through house sharing. I lived in a house share when I first moved to the UK, and ended up becoming really good friends with one of the girls. We lived together for 3 years and we are still friends now. A few years later, I moved to another house share and now live with two of the girls I met in that house.

House shares are great because you have the ability to go out for food or drinks together or just have a chilled movie night, but also, if you want to spend time alone you can. There’s no pressure there.

Work

Work is also a great place to make friends. Some people don’t like to mix work with their personal life and that’s fine, but I think having good friends at work is great. It not only means you can have a great time at work, but it also broadens your group of friends, and you can always go for an after-work pint on a Friday, or after your shift ends.

Social Media

This might sound a bit odd for some, but social media is a great way to make friends because you actually connect with someone with the same interests before you meet in person. It also avoids all the awkwardness and small talk at first. I met Gaby, founder of Talk Twenties, through Instagram, and now she’s one of my best friends.

Joining Facebook groups such as the Talk Twenties Hub will make it easy to get that conversation started and meet loads of people.

Join a class or local group

Another great way of making friends is by joining a painting or cooking class, or a local running club or walking group. By joining a club, you’re more likely to meet people with the same interests as you. And it will be very likely that those people are also looking to make new friends! You could invite someone for a coffee after or just chat throughout the activity.

Apps

Bumble is not just a dating app. You can also make friends through it on their Bumble BFF section. I’ve never used it but have heard of people who have when they moved to a new city. They actually meet a group of girls and they used to meet up for brunch and drinks. How fab is that?

My last tip is to try not to say no. If people invite you to after-work drinks or a house party, don’t say no. More often than not, you will meet more people or just bond with the people you already know.

Making friends as an adult is so much harder as a child, so take every opportunity you can.