50 Conversation Starters for Classmates, From the First Day to Friendship
Yurii Rebryk · Updated October 29, 2026 · 14 min read
The best conversation starters for classmates are about what you already share: the class, the homework, the room, the next test. Ask one easy question, ask about their answer, then say your name. Below are 50 starters for high school and university, grouped by situation, each with a natural follow-up and the moment it works, plus what to say when the talk dies and three dialogues to practice.
In this article
- How to start a conversation with a classmate
- Conversation starters for the first day of class
- What to say to a classmate before class starts
- Conversation starters about homework, assignments and exams
- Conversation starters for group projects with classmates
- Small talk with classmates in the cafeteria or between classes
- How to message a classmate online: group chats and DMs
- Conversation starters for international students and classmates from other countries
- Conversation starters for clubs and societies
- How to turn a classmate into a friend after class
- Easy conversation starters for shy students
- What to say when a conversation with a classmate dies
- What not to say to classmates
- Classmate dialogues in English to practice
- Describe a classmate you can talk to about anything: a speaking answer
How to start a conversation with a classmate
To start a conversation with a classmate, comment on or ask about something you both share, ask one follow-up about their answer, and give your name before you leave. Class makes this easier than a party: the counselling service at the University of Melbourne notes that it is “often easier to start a conversation in a class situation than in a social context”, and suggests openers about shared experiences, such as the lecture or how hard it is to get to class on time.
| Step | What to do | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Open | Ask or comment about something you both share | “Did you understand the last slide?” |
| 2. Follow | Ask about their answer instead of jumping to a new topic | “You’re in engineering? Which year?” |
| 3. Close | Say your name and give a reason to talk again | “I’m Kenji, by the way. See you on Thursday.” |
Where you sit matters too. In a study described by the Association for Psychological Science (2008), 54 first-year psychology students in Germany got random seat numbers at a one-off introductory session; those who sat next to each other rated their friendship higher a year later, and the same held for students who merely sat in the same row. Pick a seat near people and keep it for a few weeks.
How to read the tables: the starter is your first line, the follow-up is your second question once they answer, and “When it works” says when and with whom. Swap the details for your own. Lines work in high school and at university unless the row says otherwise.
Conversation starters for the first day of class
On the first day, many people in a new class know nobody yet, so a simple question about the class is easy to answer. Ask about the class, the teacher and where people studied before. Say hello first; the guide to common English greetings has the usual replies.
| Starter | Natural follow-up | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hi, is anyone sitting here? | I’m Aarav, by the way. What’s your name? | Before you sit down next to someone |
| 2. Is this your first class here too? | What else are you taking this term? | A new term, a new school or a transfer |
| 3. What made you pick this class? | Is it for your major, or just for interest? | University electives and optional subjects |
| 4. Have you had this teacher before? | What are the tests like? | Ask about the teaching, not for gossip |
| 5. Do you know anyone else in this class? | Want to sit together next week? | When neither of you knows anyone yet |
| 6. Where did you study before this? | How is it different here? | New students, transfer students, first-years |
What to say to a classmate before class starts
The minutes before class are a good time to talk, before the lesson takes everyone’s attention. The student support team at the University of Warwick suggests arriving at lectures a few minutes early for exactly this, and commenting on the situation you are both in.
| Starter | Natural follow-up | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 7. Do we need the textbook today? | Do you have the new edition or the old one? | Five minutes before class; easy to answer |
| 8. How was your weekend? | What was the best part? | Monday mornings |
| 9. Did you hear anything about the quiz? | Is it this Friday or next week? | Just before the teacher arrives |
| 10. It’s so cold in this room. Is it always like this? | Do you have another class here today? | Any day; the room is something you both share |
| 11. Any plans for the weekend? | Is that something you do often? | Thursday and Friday classes |
Conversation starters about homework, assignments and exams
Homework and exam starters work with almost any classmate, because you all did the same work. Ask how someone studies or what they found hard, not what mark they got.
| Starter | Natural follow-up | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 12. Which part of the homework took you longest? | How did you do question 3? | The day homework is due |
| 13. Did you get your essay done? | What did you end up writing about? | The class after a deadline |
| 14. How are you studying for the exam? | Want to quiz each other on Thursday? | One or two weeks before a test |
| 15. Can I borrow your notes from Monday? I missed the class. | I can send you mine from today. | After you missed a class; offer something back |
| 16. Which part of the reading did you find most useful? | I got lost in the middle. Did it make sense to you? | Seminars with weekly readings |
| 17. That test was hard. How do you think it went? | Which question did you get stuck on? | Walking out of an exam |
Conversation starters for group projects with classmates
In a group project, practical questions come first: how to stay in touch, who does what, when to meet. Warwick’s student support team suggests making a WhatsApp group so the group can stay in touch, and a project is a good reason to get to know people you would not sit with.
| Starter | Natural follow-up | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 18. Should we make a group chat for this? | Which app does everyone use? | The first five minutes of a new group |
| 19. What part of the project would you like to take? | I’m good with slides. Is anyone happy to do the research? | Dividing tasks at the first meeting |
| 20. What approach are you thinking of for this? | Should we look at examples from last year? | Before anyone starts working |
| 21. When is everyone free this week? | Does Wednesday after class work? | Planning the first meeting |
| 22. I liked your idea about the survey. Can you say more? | How could we do it in two weeks? | During a meeting; gives credit for an idea |
Small talk with classmates in the cafeteria or between classes
Between classes and in the cafeteria, talk about the food, the next class and what comes after school. Compliment things, never bodies. For a longer lunch with the same people, the lunch conversation starters carry on from here.
| Starter | Natural follow-up | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 23. Is the food here any good? | What do you usually get? | In the cafeteria line |
| 24. What’s your go-to snack between classes? | Where do you get it? | A short break between lessons |
| 25. Do you have a class after this? | Which one? Is it far? | Walking out of the room together |
| 26. Nice backpack. Where did you get it? | Does a laptop fit in it? | A compliment about a thing, not about looks |
| 27. What do you want to do after you finish school? | What got you interested in that? | Someone you have talked to a few times |
How to message a classmate online: group chats and DMs
To message a classmate online, say who you are and which class you share, then ask one short question. Class WhatsApp groups, Discord servers and course discussion boards often include people who have never spoken in person, so your name and class matter more than a clever opener. If someone does not reply, it is often not about you; the starters for being left on read help you follow up without pressure.
| Starter | Natural follow-up | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 28. Hi, I’m Priya from the Tuesday chemistry lab. Is the report due Friday or Monday? | Thanks! Is anyone else starting it this weekend? | Your first message in a class group chat |
| 29. Hey, it’s Yuki from history. We sat together on Monday. Did you get the slides? | Great, see you on Thursday. | Your first direct message after swapping numbers |
| 30. Is anyone else confused about question 4? | I think it wants two examples. Does that match yours? | A course board or class chat; others are often stuck too |
| 31. Good luck tomorrow, everyone. Which topic worries you most? | Same. Want to do a quick call tonight? | The night before a test |
| 32. Did anyone take a photo of the board today? | Thanks, that really helps. | After a lesson with lots of notes on the board |
Keep group messages short and about the class: one private message is fine, three unanswered ones are too many. The list of texting abbreviations explains short forms like “idk” and “ngl”.
Conversation starters for international students and classmates from other countries
With classmates from other countries, start with their name, then ask about places, food and how school worked before. If you are the international student, the same lines work in reverse. More questions are in questions to ask someone from another country.
| Starter | Natural follow-up | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 33. How do you say your name? I want to get it right. | Is there a short version you like? | Any classmate whose name is new to you |
| 34. Where did you grow up? | What’s one thing people get wrong about it? | Once you know their name |
| 35. How long have you been here? | What surprised you most when you arrived? | Exchange and international students |
| 36. What’s a food from home you miss here? | Is there anywhere here that makes it? | Lunch with classmates from abroad |
| 37. How is school different where you studied before? | Which way do you prefer? | Comparing classrooms, exams and teachers |
Conversation starters for clubs and societies
Clubs give classmates a shared interest beyond the subject, and many people come to a first meeting alone. Ask how people found the club and what else they do outside class.
| Starter | Natural follow-up | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 38. Is this your first meeting too? | How did you hear about the club? | The first meeting of a club or society |
| 39. How long have you been in the club? | What’s the best event you’ve done? | Older members who know how it works |
| 40. Are you joining any clubs this year? | Want to check out the club fair together? | Start of the year, with a classmate |
| 41. What do you do when you’re not studying? | How did you get into that? | Anyone; it finds shared hobbies |
How to turn a classmate into a friend after class
To turn a classmate into a friend, invite them to something small and specific outside class. In a University of Kansas study (2018) that included 112 first-year students, it took an estimated 40 to 60 hours together to move from acquaintance to casual friend and likely more than 200 hours to become close friends, and time spent working or in class together counted less than hanging out. Melbourne’s counselling page adds: remember what you last talked about and ask a follow-up. For old classmates, see the reunion conversation starters.
| Starter | Natural follow-up | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 42. I’m getting coffee before my next class. Want to come? | Same time next week? | After a class you share; low pressure |
| 43. Want to study together before the quiz? | Library at four? | A classmate you have talked to a few times |
| 44. Can I get your number in case I have a question about the homework? | I’ll text you now so you have mine. | After two or three chats |
| 45. A few of us are going to the night market on Saturday. Want to join? | I’ll add you to the group. | Moving from class to the weekend |
| 46. How did the match go on Sunday? | Did your team win? | The next time you see them; shows you listened |
Easy conversation starters for shy students
Shy students can start with one person instead of a group, with an open question, and without earphones in. That is the advice of Young Scot, Scotland’s youth information service, and research suggests the first chat goes better than it feels: in a 2018 study, people underestimated how much their conversation partners liked them, a “liking gap” seen with strangers in the lab and with first-year college students getting to know their dorm mates.
| Starter | Natural follow-up | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 47. Hi, I’m Anya. I think we’re in the same lab group. | Have you done labs like this before? | A classmate sitting on their own |
| 48. What did you think of today’s class? | Which part was new for you? | An open question that gives them room to talk |
| 49. Can you recommend a good place to study on campus? | What do you like about it? | Asking for advice; easy for anyone to answer |
| 50. Sorry, I’ve forgotten your name. Remind me? | Right, Dmitri. I’m Lena. | The second or third time you meet; they may have forgotten yours too |
What to say when a conversation with a classmate dies
When a conversation with a classmate goes quiet, pick up a word from their last answer and ask about it, or end kindly and try again another day. A short answer is not always a no: Warwick’s team reminds students that the other person “could be nervous”. If someone really is not keen, do not force it.
| Situation | What to say |
|---|---|
| They give one-word answers | One open question (“What did you think of it?”); if it is still short, “Anyway, good luck with the lab.” |
| You don’t know what to say next | Repeat a detail as a question: “Pune? What’s it like?” |
| You didn’t catch what they said | “Sorry, could you say that again a bit slower?” |
| You don’t know a word they used | “Sorry, what does ‘TA’ mean?” |
| You want to leave politely | “I’ll let you go. See you on Monday.” |
What not to say to classmates
Avoid lines that put one person on the spot: comments on their body, their grades, their background or people who are not there. Each one has a better version among the 50 starters.
| Topic | Why it goes wrong | Say this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Comments on someone’s body, looks, race or religion | Even a “compliment” can feel creepy or hurtful | “Nice backpack. Where did you get it?” (26) |
| “What did you get on the test?” | Some people keep marks private; the question invites comparison | “Which question did you get stuck on?” (17) |
| Gossip about a teacher or classmate | Stories travel back, and you do not know who is friends with whom | “What are the tests like?” (4) |
| “Where are you really from?” or jokes about accents | It tells the person they do not belong | “Where did you grow up?” (34) |
| Asking again after a no (a number, a meetup, a date) | Pressure turns a classmate into someone who avoids you | “No worries. See you in class.” |
Respect and boundaries: StopBullying.gov defines bullying as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children with a real or perceived power imbalance that is repeated, or may be repeated, over time. Its Get Help Now page tells US students to contact a teacher, school counselor or principal, and to document and report cyberbullying (for example, screenshots of group-chat messages). Elsewhere, start with a teacher, the school counsellor or your university’s student support service.
Classmate dialogues in English to practice
Each classmate dialogue has a voice trainer: play your partner’s line, say yours out loud, then swap roles. Shorter everyday dialogues are in English conversation for beginners.
1. Before the first lecture
Before the first lecture
B1- Aarav
Hi, is anyone sitting here?
- Lena
No, go ahead.
- Aarav
Thanks. Is this your first class here too?
- Lena
Yes, I just moved from Kazan. I’m doing economics.
- Aarav
Kazan? What’s it like?
- Lena
Cold in winter, but beautiful. What made you pick this class?
- Aarav
It’s required for my major. I’m Aarav, by the way.
- Lena
I’m Lena. Nice to meet you.
- Aarav
Nice to meet you too. Want to sit together on Thursday?
- Lena
Sure. See you then.
Practise this dialogue
Listen to the whole exchange, then take one role: your partner’s lines are read aloud, you say yours into the microphone and see which words came through.
2. A new group project
A new group project
B1- Yuki
Hi, I think we’re in the same group. I’m Yuki.
- Sam
Hey, I’m Sam. Should we make a group chat for this?
- Yuki
Good idea. Which app does everyone use?
- Sam
Most people use WhatsApp. I’ll add you after class.
- Yuki
Thanks. What part of the project would you like to take?
- Sam
I’m good with slides. Could you do the research?
- Yuki
Sure. When is everyone free this week?
- Sam
Does Wednesday after class work for you?
- Yuki
Wednesday at three is perfect.
Practise this dialogue
Listen to the whole exchange, then take one role: your partner’s lines are read aloud, you say yours into the microphone and see which words came through.
3. In the cafeteria with an exchange student
In the cafeteria with an exchange student
A2–B1- Amara
Is the food here any good?
- Kenji
The noodles are OK. Not like home, though.
- Amara
Where did you grow up?
- Kenji
In Osaka. I’m here for one semester.
- Amara
What’s a food from home you miss?
- Kenji
Takoyaki. It’s a street snack with octopus inside.
- Amara
I’ve never tried it. A few of us are going to the night market on Saturday. Want to join?
- Kenji
I’d love to. Can I get your number?
- Amara
Sure. I’ll add you to the group.
Practise this dialogue
Listen to the whole exchange, then take one role: your partner’s lines are read aloud, you say yours into the microphone and see which words came through.
Describe a classmate you can talk to about anything: a speaking answer
If an English class or speaking test asks you to describe a classmate you can talk to about anything, shadow this model answer, then swap in your own details.
A classmate I can talk to about anything
B1I’d like to talk about Ritu, a classmate from my first year at university. We met in a statistics class when I asked to borrow her calculator, and after that we sat together every week.
At first we only talked about homework. Then we started having lunch after class, and now we talk about everything: our families, our plans, and even our mistakes.
What I like most is that Ritu listens without judging. When I failed my first exam, she didn’t give advice right away. She just asked what happened. That is why I can tell her anything.
Read it aloud
Listen to a model reading, then record yourself. You get your speaking pace, the share of words that came through clearly, and the words to repeat.
Say your starters out loud before class
A starter is easy to read and harder to say when the classmate is right there. Fluently is an AI speaking coach on iOS and Android: you answer out loud, and the app gives feedback on pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary and grammar. The download is free and starts with a free four-minute speaking assessment; full practice is a subscription after a free trial.
Frequently asked questions
What are 5 good conversation starters for classmates?
“Is this your first class here too?”, “What made you pick this class?”, “Which part of the homework took you longest?”, “Should we make a group chat for this?” and “What do you do when you’re not studying?”
What is a funny conversation starter for classmates?
Light “would you rather” questions work well: “Would you rather give a presentation or write a long paper?”, “Would you rather have every class at 8 a.m. or every class on Saturday?” Funny lines should laugh at the situation, not at a person. For more random questions, try the conversation question generator.
How do I start talking to a classmate I like?
Start the same way as with any classmate: a question about the class, then a follow-up about their answer. Get to know them as a classmate first, and pay attention to their answers. If they give short replies, move away or do not answer messages, stop there and stay friendly. Never comment on their body.
How can a 14-year-old make friends at school?
Sit near the same people each week, talk to someone who is on their own, join one club or team, and spend time with friends of your friends. Start with small questions about class. If you feel lonely for a long time, talk to a teacher, a parent or the school counsellor.
What is another word for classmate?
A classmate is someone in the same class as you. A schoolmate is a friend at the same school at the same time. In Indian English, a batchmate is someone in the same year at school, college or university. “Fellow student” and “course mate” are also common.
