As a visitor to a new city, where you’ll be spending lots of time studying abroad in a host university, college or university, getting the most out of your trip will no doubt be very important to you. There’s a lot of excitement awaiting you, while of course, your primary reason for travelling and studying abroad is to gain the best possible qualification for your future, there are loads of other reasons why you’re on a study placement. You’ll want to improve your language skills, become more independent, discover another culture, make new friends and explore a brand-new country. Getting involved in extracurricular activities is very useful, and equally important too. Not convinced? Well, read on and find out why these activities will make your study placement even more memorable.
1. Improve Your Foreign Language Development
No matter what extracurricular activities you choose, they will all help with growing your language skills. You’ll get to practice your speaking skills and pick up new language by listening. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve joined the netball team, or you’ve taken up synchronised swimming, perhaps you want to take a dance class or maybe you want to learn how to cook in the style of your host country? Any class, no matter what it is, will allow you to embrace the language and pick up those things you’re never taught – such as slang, informal speech and idioms. What’s more, you’ll hear different colloquial language which helps broaden your overall language ability.
2. Make New Friends Just Like You!
Adding some extracurricular activities to your schedule is the perfect way to meet people like you, in a similar situation or who like the same pastime as you do. Rather than hoping a stranger will come and talk to you while you’re sitting alone in a café, when you’re doing an activity, you have to talk to other people, and you’ll find that they hopefully share the same passions as you do. You don’t need to choose something academic, join a club or try a new hobby and build meaningful relationships with others doing the same as you. You’ll soon bond over your mutual appreciation of whatever activity it is you choose to take part in!
3. Help With Feeling Homesick
It is very normal to feel homesick and we promise you, within a couple of weeks, you’ll notice you aren’t feeling as homesick as you might have been upon arrival! Keeping busy by getting involved in extracurricular activities is one sure-fire way to combat missing being back home. Mostly this is because staying active fills up your time with fun experiences – and you won’t feel isolated as you’ll be part of a group. Let’s not forget that extracurricular activities are the ideal way to make new friends and form lasting relationships.
4. Activities Help You Integrate
Part of your placement is about immersion and when you take part in activities outside of a classroom or lecture hall, you further integrate into your host country’s culture and community. You’ll meet different people, from different parts of the city or town you’re in, with diverse backgrounds who you may not have met had you got involved in your chosen activity. Who knows where or who they’ll lead you to! You may meet a whole crowd of new people, or meet someone who’ll help you onto the career ladder…
5. Understand More About Your Host Country’s Culture
No matter what you choose to do as an extracurricular activity, you’ll doubtless get a better insight into the local culture. Imagine learning how to play local musical instruments, or how to cook traditional dishes, you might choose hiking and see more of the country or take part in regional sports events. All of these examples are ways for you to immerse yourself in the cultural fabric of your host country.
Some Final Words
Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn lots of new things that aren’t just about academics and qualifications! By participating in classes outside of your university or college, or taking up a new hobby, or getting involved in a different activity to anything you’ve done before, you will enhance your experience, make friends, deepen connections and collect some unbeatable memories that you’ll never forget.
If you are a teacher or other interested in putting together a group to participate in an Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme adventure abroad then get in touch with us to find out what we can do for you. We’ve helped thousands of schools, colleges, universities and other higher education institutions put together unforgettable trips and we’d love to work with you too!
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