How do you actually make friends in Melbourne as an international student?

The question every one of us typed into a search bar at 11pm, so let us answer it properly. The honest list, from people who did it: pick ONE weekly thing and protect it (a sport, a class, a table; weekly beats big one-off events every time). Say yes to the second invitation, not just the first; the second one is where acquaintances become friends. Use your course, not just your campus: study groups outlive orientation week. And know the trap: uni clubs are built for week one and quietly assume you are nineteen with a free calendar. The uncomfortable truth in the research: most friendships form by repetition, not chemistry. About 50 hours together makes a casual friend, 90+ makes a real one, and you only get those hours by seeing the same people on a schedule. If you are here now: what has actually worked for you, and what was a waste of a tram fare? Your answer becomes the guide for the next person who searches this.