Going abroad is an important and impactful college experience. It provides students with the ability to travel while continuing their studies and gives a sense of independence to those who might not have been independent before. While studying abroad is, for the most part, an extremely positive experience, leaving one’s friends for an entire semester can feel jarring.
College friends are unlike any other. They are the people who take on the role of family, they are the ones seen each day, and the ones who are always up for either a good study sesh or a chill movie night. No matter what the occasion, college friends are there. This is in part due to the convenience of proximity, but mostly due to the formative time those friendships are made. After depending on these people for so many semesters, going 4 months with these people spread around the world can be scary.
Here are a few tips and tricks to staying in touch with friends studying abroad:
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Schedule monthly Facetime dates! It’s so easy to lose track of time and forget to make staying in contact a priority. By setting agreed-upon dates ahead of time, it will make everyone feel included and prioritized!
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Remember that it’s ok to not keep your friends up to date on all the exciting new drama in your life. Try to take some of the stress off of keeping everyone up to date on every little thing. Focus on the big moments!
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Send out monthly emails with updates on your life! This can be less stressful than maintaining a blog, but will still allow you to share pictures and important life events with your friends scattered across the world.
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Remember that your college friends will be there for you no matter what. Whether abroad or on campus, they’ll have your back!