Study Abroad Information: By Students for Students

It’s the holidays already. Thanksgiving has just passed us by and now Christmas, Hanukkah and all the jazz are going to be here before we know it. One of the hardest things about studying abroad is being away for the holidays (any kind- birthdays can be rough too). Homesickness is terrible. Honestly, we know. We’ve been there. So, we’ve developed a couple of good tips on how to overcome homesickness during the holidays.

1. Accept the fact that at some point you are going to miss home just a little bit. No matter how much your family drives you crazy, you will miss Aunt Bertha talking incessantly about Misty her Chihuahua. Trust us. Realistic expectations will help.
2. Talk to your family about what you expect from them. Are they going to send you presents? Do you want to know every last detail or would it be better if they didn’t mention all the festivities too much. (Personally, we preferred not knowing all the details. It just made us sad.) This is hard for parents. They want to email you with every detail in your life (you may have already realized this). If it makes it too hard, don’t let them.
3. Plan something fun in your host country for that day/days. Accept the invitation to a friend’s family’s house. Go to the city’s big church or synagogue—when else will you be able to go to a Christmas service at The Vatican? Maybe even plan to travel around the country you’re in or to a different country. Chances are you have a few days off from school. Enjoy it and explore.

We hope these tips will help you this holiday season. Please comment with other ideas you have!