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It is important to keep a balance between staying in touch with home and working to establish a new community where you are. Strike up conversations with people who seem interesting. This might be someone in your dorm or someone in one of your classes. The first few days or weeks of college, summer camp, or studying abroad can be a great opportunity to make friends. Take advantage of situations where you're not the only new person around. If you're studying or working in a different country, try a local consulate, expatriate society, or university international society to find other people who are sharing your experience of being away from home. Talking about feelings of unhappiness with people who are sharing your experiences can be helpful. Think about taking up a hobby or joining a club. Or, you can volunteer with a local nonprofit organization. These are great ways to find people with common interests. Keeping yourself in your past home or place may keep you from accomplishing goals in your new place or establishing new connections and friendships. Sometimes when we are away from home, our daily routine and even habits might change. This type of change makes the new environment seem even more foreign. To help prevent large changes like this, try to continue some of your familiar habits, even in your new place. For instance, if you have moved away for college and are missing Taco Tuesday nights with your family, try to implement a new Taco Tuesday with your dorm roommates or new group of friends. Or if you are away on summer camp and you do certain things to prepare for bed every night, try to continue this routine. These type of routines often offer structure and familiarity, so try to add some of these into your new environment. Step outside with your camera or smart phone. A camera can be a great way to see your new location in a new light. By keeping your mind active and focused on your new surroundings, you can turn your attention away from homesickness. It's also a great way to document your experiences while away from home. To get the most out of your experience, particularly if you're living abroad, break out of your comfortable cocoon and try new things. For example, try new foods. Food can often be the most defining element of a culture. Trying the local foods and finding something that the natives eat that you also enjoy can go a long way towards making you feel comfortable in a new place. Go to cultural events. Even if you are away at college in a different state, you can still sample the different cultural events that you might not get in your hometown. Culture shock involves feelings of confusion, doubt, or nervousness caused by being in a new place. This can be especially hard for people living in a new country, but it can also happen if someone moves away to college in a city from a rural area. The trick is not to let it get the better of you. In particular, if you're living abroad, try these strategies to help overcome culture shock: Learn the rules of living in your host country. Try to understand how and why the local people act the way they do. Their behavior and customs may be different from your own, but they are probably typical for the area. Take time to learn the language. It always helps to understand as much as possible of what people are saying. They will appreciate your effort to communicate with them in their language, even if it is just a few simple phrases, and it will make your daily life much easier. Approach the experience with a positive attitude and an open mind. Approaching your experience as an adventure is likely to help you have a good experience.
Start establishing new connections. Adopt your previous habits and routines. Explore your new location. Immerse yourself in the local culture. Avoid the negative effects of culture shock.