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Why you will benefit from making international friends

Why you will benefit from making international friends

Going to a foreign country to study abroad is an exciting chapter in a student’s life and provides a great opportunity to make new friends from around the world. Whether you are travelling with a friend or alone; you will benefit from striking up friendships with other students, particularly those from other countries to yourself. You may even get to know the locals.

These international friendships are often special. Created during an exciting life experience and the thrill of staying away from home in a foreign country, they are likely to stand the test of time and distance. With so many shared experiences and the ease of staying in touch thanks to social media, international friendships can turn out to be for life.

Here are some of the benefits of making international friends:

• They create an opportunity for further travel

Having friends from other countries opens up the possibility for further travel and gives you the motivation and reason to visit another country. And in return, you can receive them at your home when they visit your country.

• They form networks

Knowing a wider network of people opens up opportunities to you when looking for work experience, further study abroad opportunities and even jobs when you leave school. International friendships can open doors in other countries. You may meet other people from around the world through your international friends and their contacts, further widening that all-important network.

• They create learning opportunities

Meeting people from other cultures and backgrounds exposes you to learning about those cultures – their food tastes, clothing choices etc. As a young person, it can be fascinating to learn about the differences that exist across cultures and also about the similarities.

• They provide the opportunity to practice your foreign language skills

Making friends from the country you are visiting during a study abroad course, presents the valuable opportunity to practice your language skills, both at the time of your visit and afterwards through continued contact. And if you are meeting friends from a wide range of countries, again you are more likely to practice your foreign language skills.

• They encourage further life adventure and discovery

Once you start making friends from different countries, your eyes will be opened to all the adventures and interesting people there are to visit and meet around the world. You will be inspired to learn and read about those countries and as a result become more knowledgeable and understanding of different cultures. All of this puts you a stronger position with university and job applications.

Making international friends can be fun and rewarding and it is definitely worth making the effort to mix when you are on your study abroad course. Click here now for course availability for 2019 and you could soon be attending a study abroad course in France, Germany and Spain and meeting a host of new and exciting friends.