Tips for Making Friends in the U.S.

Americans are extremely friendly people. They are outgoing, polite, will say hello when they meet someone new, and will always ask you how you are doing... However, it is sometimes confusing for foreigners to understand that people in the U.S. seem so friendly up front when you are not actually close with them. Often, foreigners may think that Americans can be superficial in their interactions, but this is not the case at all! Initial friendliness or inquiry about your day is just the American way of being polite or saying hello, even if it does not always indicate a deeper connection. In the U.S., people often use the phrase "being acquaintances" to describe this sort of interaction with people you know but not very well. An acquaintance is someone you have literally just "become acquainted with". You probably see them in your daily day and they will always greet you, but they have not yet become a genuine friend of yours. In the school setting, acquaintances often form because of the fact that throughout a day, students in American schools will be in many different classes with entirely different groups of people all day long, so it is important to be friendly with all the people around you, but it is nearly impossible to become friends with everyone. In America, if you would like to make a new friend and really get to know someone, you just have to be assertive about it. Putting in the effort to build a close relationship with them is something you will never regret!