Dealing with FOMO When Studying Abroad

The Fear of Missing Out greatly affects students who study abroad. For months students look forward to the countries they will call home, whether for a semester or a year, and then after they arrive, the loneliness and separation sets in. It’s difficult to be away from family and friends for a long amount of time and studying abroad is no exception, no matter how badly a student wants to fall in love with their city.

It’s best to prepare for the inevitable and get ready for FOMO. The No. 1 tip for avoiding this issue or working through it is to get off social media. Limit the amount of time spent scrolling through the updates of your friends and family and focus on your host country. Feel free to check in and post pictures and updates, but it will help to delete the apps, deactivate a profile or turn off the notifications for social media.

Although avoiding social media is healthy, this does not mean forget all your friends and family while traveling. Keep in touch through phone calls, texting and Skype. This way students feel involved in the lives of their loved ones while also having enough space to enjoy their short time in a foreign land.

Keeping a journal or starting a blog will help students appreciate their travels and everything involved. It’s a great way to document a trip without going on social media and getting tempted to scroll through friend’s posts. A journal also allows students to be honest about their adventures instead of only posting pictures that capture the good days.