When you study abroad, you’re set to have the time of your life. You get to explore a whole new country, meet people from all around the world, and live a new independent life.
But it’s also important to stay connected with the people close to you back home. Your friends and family are happy to see you doing well and want to stay in touch as much as possible. But distance and time zones don’t always make it easy to keep them in the loop.
Luckily, there are lots of great ways to stay in touch and feel connected to the people back home. Read on for some of the best ways to keep in touch with friends and family when studying abroad.
Download All the Messaging Apps
When it comes to staying connected, you can never have too many messaging apps. The best ones you should be using include Facebook Messenger, Skype, and Whatsapp.
These are available across multiple devices and you can stay in touch with many people through them all at once. They even allow you to do voice and video calls so you don’t have to rely on texting or emails all the time.
Schedule Your Conversations
When there’s a time zone between you and your loved ones back home, it makes it a lot more difficult to have a conversation with them. You might be heading off to university as they are heading to bed, or you could be fast asleep while they are waiting to call.
Instead, try to find a time that works well for everyone and stick to it. Put it in the calendar if you have to – it will help you keep up regular communication. You can let them know everything you’re up to and they can keep you updated with everything happening at home without either of you needing to rush off.
Find Somewhere With Good WiFi
One of the most annoying hindrances when trying to have a Skype conversation is a poor internet connection. Your house or halls might not have the best connection and it can cut you off at the worst moments and leave the conversation abruptly.
Try to find a spot to talk where the WiFi is strong and you won’t be interrupted. Whether this is in a local coffee shop or at a friends house, try to make it the place where you have your back-home conversations.
Start a Blog
Since you’re so busy studying abroad, you can’t keep everyone back home updated with your life every day. A great way to keep everyone in the loop and practice your writing skills is by starting a blog.
Lots of students who study abroad set up a blog to post about their adventures and experiences in their new country. You can keep everyone updated with your travels, university experiences and even homesickness abroad on your blog without having to talk to everyone you know from home.
It can also be a lot of fun and you’ll be grateful you started one once you finish studying abroad and you have it to look back on.
These Are the Best Ways to Keep in Touch with Friends and Family When Studying Abroad
If you’re worried about staying in touch with the people you care about back home, don’t be. Technology has made it so much easier for us to interact with people from all around the world – it just takes some planning ahead sometimes.
Still wondering if it’s better to study abroad or at home? Check out our blog post to find out which is the best.
