Studying overseas can be a great way to expand your horizons, meet new people and cultures, and acquire a fantastic international education setting oneself up for the future. Obviously, that comes with its own difficulties, requiring you to leave the familiarity of your familial home and the friends you’ve been with all your life.
The good news is, as long as you’re prepared, this won’t even be a goodbye. The online connectivity options available today are incredible and accessible. There are plenty of choices when it comes to instant messaging, emails, gaming, sharing photos and videos. VoIP apps also allow for cheap calls to India or anywhere else on the planet, landline, or mobile.
Taking advantage of these and putting the functionality to use to keep in touch with your loved ones can make the distance a nonissue. A simple conversation with your family members and friends can be a great stress reliever, take your mind off from the difficulties of the new environment and help refocus you for the upcoming days.
Trials and tribulations
Moving away from home can be an extremely difficult process, especially grueling in the beginning. Adapting to a new environment can be challenging, finding the right food may be tricky. At the same time, one might find the local customs odd and foreign, and it always takes time to assimilate these new ways into your own life.
Being away from the confines of one’s zone of comfort does usually bring about mental challenges:
- anxiety;
- loneliness;
- stress;
- agitation
Dealing with the aforementioned challenges can be a mission all on its own, never mind while tackling education. Thankfully, there are solutions to making the start of your life abroad more comfortable by staying connected to your home.
The miracle of technology
As it was already mentioned, there are plenty of tools that are available to today’s students for keeping connected with their family and close friends. Many have been known to take advantage of the vast social media networks to offer a showcase of their lives and draw inspiration from one another. Instagram has been the clear winner recently, offering amazing tools to keep in touch with your loved ones interactively.
Gaming has also been known to be a great stress reliever and a stunning instrument to build a close rapport. Most competitive games require advanced levels of communication skills and help maintain great relations when done right.
Of course, a phone call home will always mean a lot to the caller and the receiver, especially when spontaneous. A surprise call can be an extremely fun way to spend some time. Your family will appreciate you for staying in touch. Your friends and you can have a great old laugh reminiscing about the good times and discussing the incredible future ahead.
Have fun with your studies and your time in a new wondrous place.
