DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING FRIENDSHIPS OVER THE SUMMER
ISO - July 2008 e-Newsletter
International students encounter many changes during the summer. Besides the warmer
weather, many of you may find yourselves with more free time on your hands. If you
have not returned to your home country, you might be staying in a new area, or some
of your friends have probably returned home. Others may be working at a new summer
internship or have recently graduated. Because of these changes, it is important
that you develop and maintain friendships over the summer.
Developing Friendships
Friends can help you cope with changes and provide emotional support as needed.
They also assist you in difficult situations by providing valuable advice and fill-in
for family members who are away from you. Additionally, you can have lots of fun
with your friends doing summer activities. Here are some steps you can take in order
to develop friendships during this period of change.
- Find other people who have similar interests/hobbies like you. There are various
places that you can go to do this, including parks, clubs and social organizations.
If you have a new job, you can invite your colleagues for a fun game or sport over
the weekend, or you can go out with them to watch a movie after work. This is a
great opportunity to get to know your colleagues on more personal grounds. You might
be surprised how much you have in common.
- If you find yourself in a situation where you do not meet many people, you should
step out of your comfort zone and try something new. One way to do this is to get
to know the friends of your friends. You already have some things in common with
your friends, and will probably relate to some of the interests and values held
by other people they know. If you have a friend who is more out-going than you are,
start hanging out more often with that person. You can learn a lot about the ways
that they relate to other people, while getting to meet their friends in the process.
- Don’t forget: in order to build friendships you have to be a friend first. Little
things, like a smile, or listening to someone, can prove to them that you care,
and encourage them to maintain friendship. You can also start accepting more of
the invitations you receive from people you know. They will probably invite you
again in the future to different activities and events, where you will have the
opportunity to interact with other people as well.
- For more information about developing friendships, you can click here to visit a
website with some helpful information.
Maintaining Friendships
Maintaining a friendship is an investment that requires effort and time. It is vital,
then, that you keep in contact with your friends. This has become much easier with
the latest technological advances that allow you to have instant access to people
almost anywhere in the world. The following suggestions will help you maintain relationships
you have:
- Make an effort to go out and do some activity with your friends, at least once a
month. You will have time to catch-up on any news while having fun at the same time.
You can simply go out for lunch or dinner, or you might prefer to spend more time
together by taking a trip to a place you didn’t visit yet.
- If some of your friends have returned home for the summer vacation, you can still
send e-mails, or chat with them online. Your friends will enjoy photos that you
send them, and appreciate your efforts to stay in touch. Many students have Facebook
or Myspace accounts. You can use these social networks to communicate with your
friends online.
- Take advantage of the low cost of calling cards offered by ISO to stay in touch
with your friends, regardless of what part in the world they are at. Click here
to get more information about the calling cards that we offer. Your friends will
be very happy to hear from you and will appreciate your thoughts.
- Finally, remember that your friends also have other responsibilities, so don’t overwhelm
them with too may calls or e-mails. Find out how late or early you can call, and
respect the boundaries that you set. When you give respect, your friends will reciprocate
the same way. This will allow friendship to grow.
WE HOPE YOU HAVE A FANTASTIC SUMMER WITH YOUR FRIENDS!!
Sources:
http://www.cyberparent.com/friendship/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/friendships/MH00125
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