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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I really had a wonderful experience at the school. The teachers are very very friendly. In my class, we practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing. We play games and other fun activities. We have trips around town. The staff at Keats is phenomenal. My teacher is one of the best teachers I have ever had in my educational experience. She comes in with a smile every day.
One thing I really liked was that I was able to work with my teacher to make an individual plan of study. Another really nice thing is that you live at the school, you feel completely safe. You always have a group of people who are willing to do things with you on the weekends or in the evenings. They are serving you all the 3 meals a day, the food was excellent.
So during my first week at Keats, I didn’t dare to speak any Chinese words. I found out that my Chinese level quickly improved since then. Although I have many options to study in China, for example, some other schools have homestay, I found I could immerse myself and fully focus on learning Chinese by staying at Keats.
All teachers are really lovely. The teaching level at Keats is so much higher. I really love the city. It is very comfortable to get around. I fully recommend Keats. It is a great place to study Chinese in China. We are looking forward to coming back again later this year.
It has been notable because I have met a lot of people who I met first time last year like me to come back to Keats this year. The teaching has been fantastic. The teachers carefully prepare each lesson. I think this one-on-one approach is really a great way to rapidly increase your level of Chinese and increase your confidence and fluency with the language.
All my classmates stay together for one year and we improved so much! The teachers at Keats are all very great. They like to organize a lot of activities to help us learn Chinese. I like Keats! I like Kunming!
My name is Sarah Fish. I am 81. I knew very little Chinese when I arrived. How was I going to survive 2 weeks of intensive Chinese course? I have to laugh when I think of that now. What a positive experience this has been! I really wish we could be here a little longer. The teachers are extremely encouraging, evaluating first how much someone knows, and then starting from there.
I think Keats is one of the best language schools I have ever been to. My teacher is such an amazing person. She is so good at teaching. She makes classes fun. I have learned a lot of vocabulary during my time here. I would really recommend coming to learn Mandarin Chinese at Keats School.