The International Coffee Hour At Florida State University

International Coffee Hour One way for students who attend Florida State University to diversify their friend circles and understand different views on the world is through socializing at Florida State’s International Coffee Hour every Friday evening. International Coffee Hour is a free service that Florida State University (Florida State) provides for its students through different student-run cultural organizations. Each week at five o’clock in the evening to six thirty, students can attend at the Center for Global Engagement, also known as “the Globe,” and receive a free food item and a beverage from that week’s country; every week, a new country is featured. International Coffee Hour is a tool that Florida State uses to help endorse

Florida State freshman, Diana Smith states that, “The best part of Coffee Hour is meeting people of different nationalities and backgrounds.” At coffee hour, students have the freedom to visit from table to table as if they’re traveling around the world without having to spend the money required for abroad programs or travel fare; it’s “stationary travel.” For those who don’t have passports, the time, or the money to travel, Coffee Hour makes for a great cultural substitute for the experience of going somewhere exotic. With the diversity within the students who attend, another student could find their way into almost any country around the world. Every student has the opportunity to experience a brief introduction to another student’s culture. Random introductions are highly encouraged, which helps students feel completely at ease to introduce themselves to strangers without the pressure of “social norms” or the fear of rejection that most places offer when it comes to introducing one’s self. Coffee Hour helps students to learn proper people skills and grow more outgoing than one would in a traditional college classroom or meeting. Learning how to start conversations can help students make new friends in their classes or become bolder within their clubs and organizations. Speaking to strangers helps students

Many students who I interviewed stated that they’ve made many great friends at Coffee Hour. Florida State student, David explained that he met his best friend and girlfriend at Coffee Hour back in the fall semester of 2013. Many of my friends have met through Coffee Hour, and we continue to bring each other to further expand our friend circles. I see classmates there very often, and it’s something that people can share in common. Students develop better social skills through meeting strangers and learning how to start a conversation. Coffee Hour gives every student an opportunity to build connections with someone who he or she might not approach in any other