6 HOME COMFORT TIPS TO HELP WITH STUDY ABROAD HOMESICKNESS
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One of the biggest fears about studying abroad is feeling homesick and missing your home comforts.
At Keats, we understand this is a huge factor when it comes to applying to study Mandarin in China.
Because of this, we want to be there for you in any way we can. Previously we wrote a blog post on how to deal with homesickness and we wanted to keep you on the same topic for this blog post.It’s important to have home comforts while away so that your homesickness doesn’t rule your abroad life. In this blog post, we’ll talk about how to get your home comforts while abroad.
BRING SOME OF YOUR COMFORTS WITH YOU
Packing a suitcase can seem a bit overwhelming when you’re about to head overseas. As humans, we tend to overpack and bring things we probably won’t need (like six different pairs of shoes or the five books on our “to read” list).
Instead of packing these unnecessary items, pack meaningful ones. What sweater do you have to put on when you get home from school or work? Bring that because you will get this instant sense of happiness and security when you put it on abroad.
If you can, pack a couple important keepsakes, your favorite book (just one!), and a few comfort items, whether that’s a blanket, clothing, or an important stuffed toy.
FILL YOUR NEW ROOM WITH PHOTOS
Fill your new room with photographs of your favorite people, places, and things. If you can, print off a stack of photos before you head abroad, but don’t pack the frames! You can buy the frames when you’re in your new home because frames would fill up needed suitcase space, plus they’re heavy.
If you don’t have time or room for the stack of photos in your suitcase, that’s okay; simply print them off in your new city.
Once they’re all printed, hang them all around your room. Soon every inch of your room will be full of the smiling faces of your favorite people. Catching these photos from the corner of your eye will bring a smile to your face.
And when you’re feeling homesick, take a second and look around your room and remember how amazing of a life you live. Soon when you’re home, you’ll be printing off photos of your amazing time in China to hang in your room to remember the great times you had.
CONTINUE TO EAT YOUR FAVOURITE TREATS
We like to encourage students at Keats School to get their home comforts is to remain eating their favorite treats. At Keats, we offer three meals a day, Chinese-inspired meals, but after dinner, we always need a dessert.
Sharing your favorite goodies from back home with your new classmates is a way to share the love and continue indulging in your favorites.
GET SENT CARE PACKAGES
There’s nothing better than receiving a care package from back home full of your favorite things. Family members can send care packages to:
80 Dongfeng Dong Lu (Dongfeng East Road) 16th Fl., Guolian Building, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, 650041.
Take note of the treats you can’t seem to find in your study abroad city and let your family know you need these home comforts. Once you send them your requested list, let them know they can add some other goodies into the box too. We all love a good surprise!
CREATE A MEMORY BOX BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME
Have your friends and family write letters to you before you head off on your new educational adventure.
When all the letters are written to you and sent, don’t read them! Instead, put them each in an envelope and hid them in a box or a bigger envelope.
Whenever you feel sad or need a bit of home comfort, take out a letter and read it.
These letters will help ease your homesickness while reminding yourself of the life you have back home. Plus, it’s a good reminder to the amazing people in your life willing to support you in your study abroad experience.
KEEP READING YOUR HOMETOWN’S NEWS AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR FAMILY WHILE YOU STUDY ABROAD
Zier Liu, Vice Chairman at Keats School, received a bachelor’s degree in Management Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). While she was away studying, she needed home comforts just like you will need in China.
Reading home country’s news or hometown’s news has been a habit of Zier. Therefore, she kept reading the news from China through websites or apps while she studied at MIT. She knows how important to keep connected both with your country and your family.
Here at Keats, we have high-speed wifi in each room and the school area. So it is easy to stay connected.
FINDING COMFORT AT KEATS
Feeling comfortable while studying abroad will not only make you a happier person, but you’ll become a better student who is more focused. We’ve been working with students from all over the world since 2004. We’ve seen how home comforts benefit a student’s experience in Kunming.
We’re available to help you overcome homesickness and to figure out what comforts from home you require.
Contact Keats School to learn more about our study options or visit our online application form to apply to Keats.
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Kunming’s scenery is very beautiful. It is the best place to study Chinese in China. My favorite learning method at Keats School is one-on-one because it is suitable for everyone. My teacher is very good, very caring, and lovely. My life when learning Chinese in Kunming is very good and the weather is very good. The air is very good. It is good for the elderly’s body.
My first semester that I studied at another school, and the pressure there was pretty high, the classroom hour was long, and the homework was pretty tedious. Since I came to Keats, I found I have a lot more opportunities to speak in the classroom. My classmates all are fluent and love speaking and participating in the class. We have great classroom dynamic.
About studying Chinese here, I think the living condition is very convenient because the dorm is very close to the classroom. Our teachers really enjoy teaching Chinese. They are also very passionate. Compared with other cities in China, Kunming has really good weather.
We use a lot of games to learn grammar and new words. We have really good teachers, really patient. She helps us a lot. Our class is really nice and we have people from all over the world, different countries. We often discuss topics in Chinese in our class. I live in the dorm of Keats. It is very convenient. I don’t have to spend time traveling. You can just focus on learning Chinese.
My teachers are all excellent. They trained the teachers so professionally. I feel like I learn very quickly with my teacher. They are very serious about their students and I know every teacher is like this. I would highly recommend that you come to Keats if you are looking for the best Chinese school in China.
I have been to Keats School to learn Chinese for 4 times now. The reason for coming back to this school is pretty much that the teachers I did work with were very good Chinese teachers. I make it a 5-year plan or even a 10-year plan to come back to this school. All the teachers have methods of looking at what your skills are. They are aware of at what level you are. I think it is worth for everyone.
In the one-to-one intensive Chinese course, you can choose the learning method you like. The small group Chinese class in China at Keats follows the HSK textbook. Teachers often collect feedback from the students, teachers listen to our requirements and opinions. I felt that my oral level is better than before .
I decided to learn Chinese in Kunming because I like smaller cities and I like the climate here. We had four hours a day study here and my dear teacher taught me very much and never lost her patience with me. It was a really wonderful experience to be here and I recommend Keats school and the teachers here to everyone who likes to learn Chinese in China.