Coming to Taiwan to Study University, How to Get Closer to Classmates? Campus Socializing in LINE Groups, Clubs, and Group Projects

When first entering a university in Taiwan, many international students find that the real challenge isn't attending classes, but rather how to become closer to their classmates after class. You might understand what the teacher says in class and be able to read Chinese textbooks, but when it comes to chatting with classmates, LINE groups, group projects, or club activities, you suddenly feel like a beginner again. Everyone speaks quickly, replies are short, and sometimes you'll encounter slang and internet memes not taught in textbooks. This doesn't mean your Chinese is poor. Taiwanese university life has its own social rhythm. It relies not only on language but also on groups, clubs, task delegation in projects, Instagram Stories, and many unspoken understandings. In Taiwan, university students frequently use LINE to handle various aspects of their lives. Class notifications, group project assignments, club activities, arranging meals, last-minute schedule changes – many of these are done within LINE groups. For international students, joining these groups is crucial because much information might not be officially announced a second time and flows rapidly within the group. Sometimes, messages in these groups appear very brief, such as "I'll start co-editing," "I'll take this page," "I'll add it later," "Can you take a look for me?" or "Sorry, I just saw this." Behind these sentences are actually common ways Taiwanese students collaborate. They usually don't assign tasks with a strong tone from the start but coordinate in a more polite and indirect manner. However, politeness doesn't mean there's no pressure. During group projects, if you consistently don't reply, don't confirm task assignments, or suddenly appear near the deadline, classmates might not scold you on the spot, but the group atmosphere will become awkward. For Taiwanese students, "having a response" is important. Even if you haven't finished, you can say, "Sorry, I'll complete it tonight," or "I might need a classmate to help me check the Chinese for this part." This way, everyone knows you're keeping up and not disappearing. Besides LINE, Instagram is also part of how Taiwanese university students maintain relationships. Many classmates follow each other on IG, reply to Stories, share memes, and tag photos from activities. You might find it strange: "We don't chat much in person, so why are they replying to my Story?" Actually, this is a lower-pressure way of socializing. Compared to directly asking someone out, replying to a Story, liking a post, or sending a funny picture is an easier way to initiate interaction. For some Taiwanese students, friendships don't start with intense enthusiasm but gradually develop from "following each other," "replying to Stories," "taking the same classes," and "working on projects together." If you want to get closer to your classmates, you don't necessarily have to invite them out right away. You can start small, like responding to a Story, asking what's for lunch, asking "Where are you guys going after class?" after class, or proactively saying in a group chat, "I can help with this part." These actions might seem small but are more effective than simply waiting for an invitation. Clubs are also an important place for international students to meet Taiwanese friends. Music clubs, dance clubs, guitar clubs, photography clubs, board game clubs, volunteer clubs, international exchange clubs, department associations, student associations – each type of club has its own activities and social circles. Classmates might not chat with you, but in a club, interactions are more natural because everyone shares a common interest. However, Taiwanese club culture sometimes requires a bit of initiative. Many people won't immediately pull you into their friend circle upon first meeting. It's not necessarily exclusion, but rather fear of being too sudden, fear of bothering you, or uncertainty about whether you genuinely want to participate. In such cases, you can directly ask: "Can international students join too?" "When is the next activity?" or "Can I join you?" This usually yields better results than passively waiting. Taiwanese university students also frequently "invite people" (揪人). For example: "Want to grab a meal together?" "Anyone going to buy drinks?" "Want to sing karaoke tonight?" "Want to go out after midterms?" Here, "jū" (揪) means inviting others to do something together. If you want to join, you can directly say, "I can," "I want to go," or "Count me in." If you don't want to go, you can say, "Sorry, I can't today," or "I'll join next time." You don't have to agree every time, but if you consistently decline and never initiate an invitation yourself, others might assume you're not very interested in participating. When you first start interacting with Taiwanese classmates, you might find them a bit slow to warm up. Some might not be overly enthusiastic upon first meeting, nor will they necessarily ask many personal questions. This doesn't mean they are unfriendly; it's just that Taiwanese students sometimes fear awkwardness and are concerned about asking questions that might make you uncomfortable. Therefore, international students can prepare a few simple but useful conversation starters, such as: "What's good to eat around here?" "Is this class very difficult?" "What clubs do you recommend joining?" or "Where do you usually study?" These questions are more natural than asking very personal things and can more easily lead to further conversation. Of course, slang and internet memes will also appear in campus life. Classmates might say things like "I'm super socially anxious today," "Help, this report is too hard," "I can't take it anymore," "That's awesome," "Got substance," "Not yet," "My defenses are down," or "I'm developing a crush." If translated literally, these phrases often make no sense. However, you don't need to memorize all the slang. What's more important is to understand that these terms are often used for joking, expressing emotions, or building rapport. If you don't understand, you can directly ask: "What does that mean?" Many Taiwanese classmates are quite willing to explain, and explaining slang can itself become a conversation topic. Just remember, while slang is fine for chatting with friends, it's inappropriate in formal settings. Saying "This is hilarious" to a classmate is natural, but when writing to a teacher, inquiring at the department office, or giving a formal presentation, you should still use standard Chinese. Being able to distinguish between what's acceptable among peers and what's not suitable for formal occasions is more important than knowing many slang terms. Dcard and Threads can also help you understand what Taiwanese students are thinking. Many university students use these platforms to read course evaluations, relationship advice, housing experiences, part-time job complaints, exam stress, or campus news. However, online comments do not represent the thoughts of all Taiwanese people. Some content is highly informative, while some is just venting or joking. You can read them, but don't take them as the definitive standard for Taiwanese university life. While language ability is certainly important for studying in Taiwan, campus socialization isn't solely determined by Chinese proficiency. You need to gradually learn: when to reply to messages, how to confirm task assignments in groups, how to politely decline invitations, how to make friends through club activities, how to maintain some interaction via Instagram Stories, and how to naturally ask when you don't understand slang. It's normal to feel unfamiliar at first; don't rush to appear overly "Taiwanese." As long as you don't disappear from group chats, are willing to participate in some activities, and dare to ask when you don't understand something, many Taiwanese classmates will gradually pull you into their social circles. One day, when you start to understand that "jū yīxià" (揪一下) means someone is inviting people out, you know someone hasn't submitted their work when you see "wǎndiǎn bǔ" (晚點補), you sense a subtle shift in the group chat atmosphere upon hearing "bù hǎoyìsi wǒ gānggāng cái kàn dào" (不好意思我剛剛才看到), or you can even naturally reply with "Zhēn de jiǎ de?" (真的假的?), you might have gradually entered the daily network of Taiwanese university students.