4 Ways You Can Develop A Social Life While Studying Abroad

Education is not just limited to the enhancement of academic knowledge but extends to the overall social and psychological development of a human being. This is reflected in the outcomes that society enables through education, including employment and professional development. It is a well-known belief that in addition to technical expertise and hard skills, social and interpersonal skills are key drivers of professional growth. It hence becomes important to take into consideration the social skills one would learn and the experiences one would go through while evaluating the potential of a particular course, college, university, etc. This naturally extends to education abroad also.

Important To Expand Focus

Out of the many benefits that students reap whilst pursuing undergraduate degrees abroad, getting acquainted with and understanding diverse cultures from across the globe is one that stands out. In renowned international universities, one has the opportunity to learn and grow within an academic community that is representative of the national, ethnic, and socio-cultural diversity of the world. To make the most out of this in terms of personal growth, it is also important to focus on developing a social life apart from going to university and studying.

Global universities are cognizant of the value of social interactions in framing education and development. Moreover, they understand their diverse student body and the potential for innovation and growth that cultural interactions would lead to. Hence, they often make active and concrete efforts to create an enabling environment that allows students to foster their social lives even if they are living outside their home countries.

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What Students Can Do

Despite the efforts made by universities, the most significant onus of developing one’s social life is on students themselves. It requires active effort and initiative to benefit from opportunities around you. Here are some ways in which an undergraduate student can develop their social life in a university abroad.

Join Clubs/Organisations

Renowned universities abroad have hundreds of student-led clubs and organisations that allow students to explore and develop their academic, social, and extracurricular interests. Some of these clubs are identity-based (open to students of certain races/nationalities/ethnicities), while some may be academic (focus on a particular subject/department), professional (focused on certain career paths), driven by community and social service, or centered around extracurricular activities (including everything from art, debating, sports, and cooking). \

The diversity and range of student organisations in these universities are noteworthy, which implies that there is something for everyone. Hence, students should explore different student clubs based on their backgrounds, interests, and aspirations and commit to a few. Participation in student clubs is key in developing one’s social life because these clubs ultimately constitute the circles within which a student spends a significant amount of their time.

Get Rid Of Biases, Be Open

A key driver for students wanting to study abroad is their desire to interact with and learn from different global cultures. However, socio-cultural differences might contribute to a sense of alienation and indifference towards certain interactions with individuals, practices, and communities. Students need to break free of their biases and keep an open mind. Despite superficial differences, there are several commonalities in students’ experiences and aspirations that provide common ground for engagement. Growing socially and having a social life implies comfort with surroundings that are not native, and hence regular interactions with unfamiliar concepts and cultures are beneficial.

Growing Socially Implies Comfort With Surroundings That Are Not Native

Be Active In The Classroom

The classroom is the most common and easily accessible venue for making friends and improving your social life. Shyness comes naturally to many, but it is important to open up and speak up inside classrooms. Not only does this contribute to an improvement in academic competencies, but it also allows others around you to understand your thinking and worldview. This is important in breaking the ice and framing positive interactions with those around you. Speaking up on different issues within the classroom (be it academic or beyond) is a key driver of interpersonal skill development and enhancement of one’s social life.

Intern/Volunteer

Beyond the classroom and student clubs, internship and volunteering opportunities are the most popular environments for getting to know people with a similar worldview and aspirations as you. Taking up these opportunities as early as possible and as much as possible leads to social development in addition to professional growth. It is common for people to make friends at the workplace far beyond college. Yet, undergraduate internships and volunteering opportunities provide some of the most unique environments for fostering one’s social life.

Universities abroad are considered to be prestigious for not just their research competencies and academic achievements but also because of the growth-oriented social environments that they provide to students. It is on students to make the most of these opportunities by acting on intrinsic and external enablers. Not only does this lead to advancement and growth in several domains but it also makes the education abroad experience more fun and memorable.

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Vijeeth Srinivas is a development consultant with more than extensive experience in the foreign education industry. With the Centre for Career Development and Essai Education he has helped hundreds of students secure positions in leading universities abroad. He is keen to make novel developments in education and skill development more accessible to students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.