Getting out of the dorm (or wherever one is staying), is the first step to avoiding self-isolation. Some cultures – such as England – have each class meet only once a week, which means that one may have days where one doesn’t have to go to class at all. If this is true, then it can be easy to stay in one’s room an entire day, which is confining and conducive to depression. Make sure to get out at least once a day, whether it is to the market, the library, the park, or just to window shop.
Places to Find Conversation
Where one goes to meet people will also determine the kind of people one meets. Dance clubs are fun, but they’re also high-energy, and they don’t always promise to draw in people who have more interests than “just wanting to have a good time.” Try to find places where you will be doing the same thing as other people, and might be able to initiate conversation. This can be done in stores of interest, sections of video rental places, lounges, or music concerts. The more one can narrow down the interest, the more one will enjoy one’s company. Thus, music concerts are preferable to lounges for finding people who share common ground.
However, probably the best place to find enjoyable conversation is right in the classroom. Take advantage of a place where you can find people choosing to fill their minds with the same academic material as yourself.
Activities of Common Interest
Make an effort to connect beyond the classroom. Find out the clubs, organizations, and activities hosted by the school. They might be a lot harder to find than what one is used to, but ask around and be on the lookout for them. It doesn’t just allow one to meet people with common interests, but it keeps one active and help one avoid slipping into the pit of stasis.
Make a Goal for Yourself
Leave a mark on the place where you’re studying. Finding an activity allows one to focus one’s energy on accomplishing a goal. Perhaps it is money-raising for cancer research, perhaps it is planning a community event, or perhaps it is as small as volunteering in a nursery. Feeling a part of something will help you develop more of a home for yourself, allow you to meet other people, and make you feel accomplished.
Whatever path one chooses to get social interaction while abroad, it is important to make sure it is a part of a person’s health priorities. Lack of social interaction can lead to a downward spiral of depression and loneliness, and that is especially easy to happen while one is not in their homeland.
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