This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wash U chapter.
Miss your go- to-girls who’ve gone abroad? Well, it’s no surprise that many of you are feeling this way. According to the Arts and Sciences Abroad Department, around 235 students went abroad this semester! St. Louis winter weather is enough to keep you bitter this semester, so why not have some hot tips to melt away the chill of feeling left behind? Her Campus has compiled two important how tos that will not only help you survive this semester, but make it one for the record. Send this article to all your friends and start your semester right! Remember this is your semester too! Just because you’re not abroad internationally doesn’t mean you can’t have some of your own adventures.
How to Feel Like You Haven’t Skipped A Beat With Your Buds.
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Download to Get the Down Low. Nowadays technology is the easiest bridge to cross overseas. Here are some different ways you and your friends can keep close pick the one that’s right for you:
- Blackberry International BBM. If you and your pal both have the unlimited data plan, international BBM is free of all roaming charges so pinging people will be just as effective in Berlin as it is in the B-School.
- WhatsApp. A less exclusive way to exchange is the WhatsApp Messenger, a messaging system for smartphones (Blackberrys, Androids, and iPhones) that allows correspondence just as quickly as BBM or instant messaging and without additional fees. Be aware, though, that the WhatsApp application operates through the phone’s Internet and will drain you and your abroad bud’s battery significantly.
- Skype. If you don’t have a smartphone, do not worry- there are many other opportunities to beat the distance. Skype messaging and phone system allows its users to video chat, call, and even text each other through the computer. Other video chat options are iChat and Oovoo. Oovoo is great because it allows you to video chat with up to 6 people.
- Facebook. And perhaps the most preferred and easiest ways to communicate is through G-chat, Facebook chat, and Facebook message threads. You might even want to consider creating a group for all your friends; that way, you can post specific pictures, videos and links that keeps you all on the same page, literally. Also new to Facebook’s group page is the “chat with group” tab and with a click, up pops a Facebook chat that includes all the members of your group in one box.
- Album Awareness. Pictures are very telling. Create photo albums as often as possible. Make sure to upload them recently after the event so you can remember details clearly and comment on all (or most) pictures, creating a short narrative for your friends so they get some idea of what you’ve been up to.
- Be a Hoarder. For all those activities that aren’t documented on Facebook, make sure they’re saved elsewhere. Collect ticket stubs, travel brochures, receipts for parties thrown or interesting purchases to help jog your memory of the fun stuff you might forget. You can either put all these items in a jar or decorate them nicely on a memory board to share them when you and all your friends come together.
Make This YOUR Semester.
- Cultivate New Friendships. Spend the time you would be going to your abroad friend’s apartment to make plans with a new friend in class or a mutual friend whom you know also got left behind. SENIORS are a great group to get to know because chances are they’ll have lots of time to hang out because their schedule are pretty light, you’ll want to spend as much time as you can with them before they leave, plus they can impart their wisdom of Wash U (places to go to eat, social events, etc.) onto you so that you can make the best out of your next semesters here.
- Get a Job. What better excuse to fill your time with than making money? The Career Center as well as many places on campus are hiring – for example, intramural sports are looking for referees. Make sure to check out Career Link and ask your friends how you can get involved with jobs on campus they might be connected to. If you can’t afford the commitment of a real job, look into volunteering on campus. There are a bunch of organizations on campus that are welcoming volunteers (Her Campus is one of them!). Check it out-who knows, maybe you’ll cultivate some new friendships. (Here’s a link to all the student groups on campus http://su.wustl.edu/directory/search/all)
- Get Out There! Just because you’re not abroad doesn’t mean you can’t travel. Do food tours (click here for specifics) or be a tourist (go to museums, landmarks, kitschy places like the City Museum, etc.). Take weekend trips to nearby states with friends; St. Louis is not that far from Chicago, Nashville, the Kentucky Derby or Bourbon Street in New Orleans so take advantage of it! Find a group to visit friends at other colleges and celebrate this semester! That way when your friends get home, you’ll have something to show them!