One of the hardest parts about being a foreign student is leaving family and friends behind. Waves of homesickness, plus the difficulty of adjusting to a new environment, can sometimes make you feel very alone and overwhelmed.

But there’s hope—and comfort. No matter how far you are from home, there’s a way to keep in touch and stay connected, especially with today’s communication technology. Use it to battle homesickness, or inspire you on days when you’re feeling sad and need a little cheering up. It can make it easier to adjust to your new school and make the experience of studying abroad better.

The Phone

Ever since Alexander Bell invented the phone, people have been using it to keep in touch. Today, the cost of long distance phone calls is much more affordable, and one of the first things you can do when you arrive in your new country is to look into special promos that will let you call home with lower rates.

You should also find out the numbers of your residence, the school, the academic advisers. For your own safety people back home should know how to contact you, or people they can call if they can’t find you.

Ask where you can get 24 hour connection, especially if you live in a different time zone. Stock up on international calling cards, and find out where you can buy them. You can also think about getting a cell phone, but do find out how much it will cost to make an international call. Text messaging may seem cheaper but you may be surprised—if the cost between sending one text or making a one minute call isn’t that big, then you’re better off making a quick call.

Email

You can always send an email, but don’t forget things like postcards and letters. Why? Collect them so that they can be part of your scrapbook. You’ll treasure these mementos when your time abroad is over.

Why travel all across the world to get a degree when there’s a community college just 15 minutes away?

The fact is that there are things you’ll learn from studying abroad that you’d never find in even the best colleges in your own city.

First of all, you are exposed to a different culture. The world is bigger than your backyard. Living abroad broadens your horizons, as you meet people with different beliefs and customs, which in turn teaches you to be more tolerant and more open minded. You may also discover ideas and concepts that may alter your life—you’ll have that proverbial “aha!” moment. You’d never get that being surrounded by people who think exactly like you do,

Second of all, you are able to learn how to independent, and take care of yourself (as opposed to your parents always being there to bail you out). Life skills like adjusting to change and adapting to new experiences and places, plus the chance to develop social skills, are all part of the life lessons you’ll pick up as a foreign student.

Third of all, the school you go to may have facilities or opportunities that may not be present in your current campus. For example, they may arrange field trips to archaeological sites, or internships in big multinationals. They may be able to set you in a mentor program with an acclaimed local expert.

But how much you gain from your experience as a foreign student also depends on your attitude and behavior. Try as much as possible to participate in school activities, even if they’re not technically part of your required course work. This will let you make friends and give you an idea of local culture. Sometimes an hour or two just hanging out in a café with your classmates can do a lot in terms of fostering camaraderie.

Remember that you are representing your country. Conduct yourself appropriately at all times. Learn about the laws and follow them. Also, adapt to the culture of the school, like what people wear and how they talk. These are the unwritten rules of conduct and as a visitor you should respect them and adhere to them.

There are many benefits to studying abroad, and one of them is that it can help you stand out when it’s time to apply for a job or pursue post-graduate degrees.

Both schools and companies know how studying abroad can improve one’s perspective and personality. The experience of living alone, and dealing with change and the challenges of being thrown into a completely different environment, develop a student’s maturity and self-discipline. That’s why they often give “bonus points” to someone who spent even just a semester or two as an exchange student— more so for those who completed their degree somewhere else.

Students can also leverage their experience of studying abroad as a sign of leadership qualities. Anyone who has deal with a radically different environment, mastered a new language, and learned to cope with change, won’t buckle under pressure. During job interviews it will be easy to show that these experiences have prepared them for handling a particular position and the challenges that they may encounter. They can also say that their adaptability proves that they learn quickly and whatever they don’t know, they will develop soon enough.

In fact, surveys of employers say that they tend to think that someone who has studied abroad has not only a wider experience than his peers, but probably has greater responsibility, flexibility, integrity, and personal strength. Not everyone has the initiative or the self-control to want to study abroad and make it work once they’re there.

People who have studied abroad are also more prepared for a global environment. With today’s technology, and the way the business environment has changed, nearly all jobs will require people to work well with different kinds of people, in different settings.

There are many advantages to participating in a foreign study program, and these advantages will last a lifetime. Studying abroad develops skills, personality, character, and will always look good on a work resume. It can be the best decision that people can make for their career.