As exciting and as life-changing as becoming an international student is, you would not be human if you didn’t feel homesick, miss your loved ones back home and maybe even experience loneliness and periods of isolation. 

To counteract this, and to enable you to fully enjoy and get the most out of your time studying abroad, here is some tried-and-tested help and advice to stave off feelings of loneliness and isolation. 

Although you have strong friendships that have developed and been nurtured from maybe all the way back to pre-school days, the best way to counteract the feelings of missing your friends is to, well, make some new ones.

When presented with an opportunity to involve yourself in extracurricular activities and weekend trips out, even if you feel nervous, it is a brilliant idea to just say yes and see what happens! Remember, your fellow Rugby School Thailand classmates are also new and will therefore be feeling as nervous as you are, so the sooner you start bonding and forming connections, the sooner everyone will feel at ease. 

Thanks to the, mostly, wondrous development of modern technology and communications, you are fortunate enough to live in a world where it is substantially easier to stay in close contact with loved ones who are physically far away. 

Although possibly impractical to keep up with every single week, even fortnightly or monthly, scheduled group catch-ups will allow you to keep up with what is happening back home in a light-hearted, regular and entertaining way. 

Even if you experience times when you wish you were back at home among family and familiar surroundings, it is guaranteed that, in years to come, you will look back on your time studying internationally and wish you had enjoyed the experience to the maximum. 

Be sure to immerse yourself in the local culture and try the authentic national dishes cooked by the locals. When possible, in a safe area surrounded by people, take an hour or so to yourself to enjoy a walk by the sea, through the park or even immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of the bustling city streets. 

Perhaps, if you are au-fait with social media, you could create a special profile and page for the entirety of the time you are studying in an international school. Instagram is the perfect platform to do this effectively and such a photographic diary will also serve as a perfect online photo album to relive the memories of your time abroad.

Alternatively, an online travel and study blog would not only help to center your thoughts and emotions, especially during periods of homesickness and even low moods, but will also serve as a guideline and reference point to prospective international students of the future.