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Many parents worry about their children during their period of residence abroad although most locations to which students are sent are not that far away and most are as safe as the UK (indeed some are even safer).
It is a good idea to discuss the period of residence at as early a stage as possible and to look at the briefing material which the university gives the students. Some universities may have special briefing notes for parents; others may regard the students as adults and rely on them to tell their parents about the arrangements that are being made.
One main source of problems has been found to be the disorientation that can occur when the student is abroad even though s/he may in a situation which is similar to one experienced at home such as studying at a university. If the student is in a work placement or is an assistant s/he may have to face a new set of working challenges as well as living in a new environment. Of course, this is excellent training for the stresses, challenges and changes of working life but experience shows that initially students may find it hard to adjust to the new culture and its implicit social codes. There is often a tendency before departure to assume that, even if the language is different, all will just be a replica of the home setting. Many universities include some discussion of this sort of problem in their briefing to which exchange students from the host country and returning students will contribute as well as experienced counsellors. While such advice is essential and very helpful, students have sometimes said that nothing can altogether prepare them for the shock of sustained independent living abroad, particularly if they have never had a similar experience before, so in a number of instances a period of adjustment is inevitable.
The prior briefing should also give the students a clear idea of what to expect in their type of placement, be it university, school or work placement (obviously, if it is a new placement or an assistantship, which by the very nature of the scheme run by the Central Bureau, changes from year to year, details about the actual specifics of the particular locality will clearly have to be less precise but general ideas and procedures will still be made clear). It may be helpful if parents discuss with their children experiences which they themselves may have had in the past when they moved to a new place. If students understand that it is normal to feel some sense of disorientation, homesickness, loss and loneliness in a new situation this can help them to face it more independently. Experience shows that the attitude of parents is an important factor and that those parents who support their offspring, have confidence in them and encourage them to confront and deal with any problems posed by the new environment, facilitate their adaptation to it. Students going abroad should realise the importance of being proactive and have the confidence that they have the ability to deal with and solve any difficulties or moments of loneliness that may arise. It is also helpful if the students are briefed on the realities of working life where the demands of a job and family do not always leave those concerned with a great deal of time for the sort of care and socialising that the student might expect. In such situations students have to signal their presence and be able to ask for help and to make the first move. At difficult times, students should be encouraged to view themselves as actors and not as victims of circumstances. It is helpful if they can realise that in other countries there are stringent codes (and sometimes laws) governing noise levels, particularly after certain hours. Quiet may be expected at earlier hours than in the UK. It is important to realise that as guests in another country it is advisable to respect such local traditions rather than condemning others because life may in certain respects differ from the UK.
Without wishing to unduly scare (which can be counter-productive as regards self-confidence), it is necessary to think of the various problems that students might encounter whilst on residence abroad.
Briefing from the University on health related matters will include the need to have the E111/E128 with one; the fact that it does not cover all eventualities; the need for additional medical and personal insurance to cover belongings. The extra insurance will not only cover any expenses not met by the health scheme in the country concerned and reciprocal arrangements but will also include provision for someone to fly out to the student in case of serious illness or for emergency transport home. If the University has an insurance scheme this and its possible limitations will be drawn to the attention of students (cover of loss of belongings may in certain instances not be high enough if musical instruments, electronic equipment or other expensive items are involved). Information will be given about the medical services in the target community; how they work; ideally a name of a doctor or medical centre in the location will be supplied in the residence abroad briefing notes (but this will not in all instances be possible, particularly in the case of assistants ). The students should be told how to contact the emergency services (key national emergency numbers should be supplied); how to sort out their claims for reimbursement of medical expenses. It is important to ensure that if the student has any existing medical problems s/he knows what to do should there be a flare-up. If necessary the student should take a letter from a doctor and if at all possible, should for matters likely to need hospital treatment, have been helped to find the name of a hospital consultant or department.The home university and link person in the host university should be advised of any potential problems arising from a student's previous medical history.
For countries outside the EU appropriate briefing should be given, not forgetting such things as vaccinations and any other particular health information or precautions to be taken in the country.
It is important that the student be aware of any areas of potential risk to health. No parent or anyone else likes to think that a student would take drugs but given what is said to be the prevalence of the drug culture among young people, they must be briefed about the dangers. They should know too about the strict penalties that drug use may incur in certain countries and the consequences to one's subsequent career of expulsion or a criminal conviction. The incidence of AIDS is particularly high in certain European countries, as in other parts of the world, and it may be appropriate to remind students of this fact and its consequences, particularly if they come from areas of the UK where AIDS is not a major problem.
Mental difficulties and nervous breakdown are particularly distressing forms of illness and students should be warned of the advisability of taking prompt action if they discover symptoms in themselves or indeed if friends or acquaintances show clear signs of mental illness. It is important that such cases be treated as expeditiously as possible as there is always the possibility that the unfortunate victims may do real harm to themselves or others. On no account should students remain in a house with anyone who is showing signs of violent behaviour or derangement.
If a student does have to come home due to illness (or indeed for other reasons such as bereavement) it is important that they are told to keep the home university informed, as well as the link person in the host university or the person in charge of them in placement or school.
Harassment may be a particular problem for girls who (particularly if they come from a very quiet locality or protected background) may sometimes be quite upset by the more explicit level of innuendo and other types of minor harassment that may be met while abroad and to which nationals of the country are quite immune. They should be briefed on the need to deal peremptorily with strangers who approach them in the street and to walk away from them; the fact that different cultures can have different codes for social interaction and that what may be considered perfectly normal behaviour at home might be misinterpreted by people from a different culture. Sometimes it may not be safe for girls to walk around alone, particularly after dark. Indeed even men can have problems in some locations so it wise to suggest, without being unnecessarily alarmist, that students brief themselves on any local danger spots and avoid them. This is really no different from what happens in most areas at home but there we have an implicit knowledge of the dangers and tend to instinctively avoid them. The university will probably enlist the help of students who have just returned from placement and of exchange students to relay this information. Parents can help too by their measured and sensible comments in this respect. Once one has found out about an area and knows the danger zones, they can be avoided. Potential items of self-defence such as umbrellas and rape alarms may be mentioned. The university may advise the students to go to (or they may offer) self-defence classes to impart some basic self defence techniques and to increase confidence in ability to cope.
Harassment at work is a very serious matter and students should report it immediately to the supervisor in the location and to the home university so that immediate action may be taken.
It is necessary to remind students to take sensible precautions against theft : about obvious things such as not leaving baggage unattended or in the care of strangers; not leaving possessions in car-boots overnight; not having credit cards lying around in full view; girls should have secure handbags and men should not have their wallets in obviously pickable pockets. Doors to rooms or apartments should always be locked, including in student residences, and windows should not be left open. Before opening a door, it is sensible to find out who is on the other side. It is not advisable to sleep with an open window unless it is completely unreachable from the ground (the latter precautions also help guard against personal assault).
If attacked or assaulted help should be sought immediately from medical services and / or police and if the incident takes place in a university residence, the authorities must be informed. The student's contact person abroad and home university should also be notified.
In cases of robbery, it is essential to go immediately to the police to declare it (not that one is likely to recover the valuables, but a police declaration covers one for insurance purposes and also if documents such as driving licence or passport are lost or stolen). Some towns will have a lost property office and items such as purses or handbags (emptied of anything valuable) may eventually end up there.
It is an offence not to carry one's identity documents with one at all times in certain countries. Under such circumstances it can be very awkward to be the subject of a police control or to have to go to the police if you do not have the necessary documentation (if the student has just been robbed of it that is of course another matter).
If the student is studying in a university, there will be a link member of staff who will help and advise the student. Such people are nominated by the host university and, as everywhere, people vary in their availability, efficiency and helpfulness. Although many show helpfulness to visiting students well beyond the call of duty, others may be perceived by students as less sympathetic. As in many situations in life, the students have to learn how to work with the staff member in question. The name of the link person and the location of their office should be included in the briefing material that the students receive and they should realise it is up to them to make themselves known to the contact when they arrive. If going to a placement, students should have been told who the supervisor is and what they can expect in the way of help and advice from them. They should also know something about how schools usually organise the assistant's work and the sort of help and advice they may expect (as well as what to do if it is not forthcoming).
Some universities may have a leaflet for parents while others may take the view that as adults, it is up to the students themselves to talk to their parents about what is involved and perhaps show them the briefing material from the university. It is useful for parents to read the material given to their children as it will help them to see what the role of the home university is as well as the limits of their influence. The home university may, for instance, be in a position where it will advise students to accept rooms in residence even if the accommodation levels are by no means comparable to those that would be expected at home because such accommodation may well be the best value for money and the easiest to find. It is helpful if students do not go abroad with unrealistic expectations and if they understand that some degree of compromise is often necessary. It may also help if parents have some idea of the financial implications and costs in various locations.
Ringing one's parents in tears or at least in a sorry state in the first few days is a not uncommon phenomenon and it may help to know that some element of depression and homesickness are quite normal at certain points during residence abroad. What is required from home in such instances is moral support and encouragement to stay abroad and sort out the problems there rather than any encouragement to take the first available plane back. The home university tutor may also be rung if the parent has any reason for real concern. In very serious cases of unhappiness, it can, on occasion, be helpful for the student to return briefly to the home environment during a mid-term break or other holidays (providing funds and distance permit). Normally this is not advisable but in cases of extreme distress it can provide a necessary breather provided that the parent is willing to see that the student returns when they should.
Students need to be warned about the importance of giving correct addresses and contact numbers to parents in case they have to be contacted in an emergency.
Partners at home or abroad can be a source of some problems. It may be helpful to give some constructive advice on techniques of maintaining relationships and involving the partner in the period abroad (getting them to go out with the student and see them settled in; suggesting that they go out to stay for a short period; maintaining regular telephone contact). Talking to partners about the importance of the time abroad for one's studies and course and discussing various aspects of it with them may also help them to feel implicated and involved.
In rare cases some students may be able to bring their partner with them if the partner's work is transferable or independent (eg writer) or the partner may be able to go and take some form of temporary work. This is most likely to apply to mature or slightly mature students. In this case special briefing will need to be given particularly where the partner is unlikely to be very competent in the foreign language. Such partners will certainly need to go to classes to improve their language skills and students in this situation will need to be aware of the need to socialise with people of the host country so that real profit is drawn by the student from the sojourn.
A number of universities visit their students on at least one occasion during their period of residence abroad. These visits are expensive for cash-strapped universities but they have been shown to be of real benefit in offering an opportunity to assess the success and problems of the situation in which the student is placed and in maintaining good relationships with partner institutions and placement providers. Students should be briefed by their home university on these and their likely format as well as on the importance of undertaking the necessary preparation for them. Visits can take a number of forms depending on funding and institutional practice. Some institutions will be able to visit each location. Others will ask students to travel to a number of centres (there would normally be reimbursement for economical travel expenses). The staff member visiting will normally have an agreed set of matters to discuss with the students and may also complete a brief visit form as a record of proceedings. The staff member should make a point of talking to each student separately in case there are matters they would wish to discuss without the presence of peers. Interviews with returners show that students welcome a visit and that it can have a very positive effect in solving a range of problems from the relatively simple to the more acute. Visits can also give students a real feeling of support and help them in some ways to make a new departure where problems of one sort or another have been preventing optimal benefit being drawn from the time abroad.
Email contact is another way in which contact may be maintained with the home university (and with parents and friends if they are networked for this). It enables queries to be answered rapidly and quick advice given on a range of matters. By its very speed, it may even prevent matters getting out of hand and serve to avert more major crises.For really urgent matters the telephone is essential. Students should have a number to ring in the University with the departmental secretary able to take calls when the staff member is not available. Students will also, of course, know how to contact their parents in an emergency. Students should be reminded that if they do need to be rung back feasible alternative times should be given and there should be a realistic chance that they can be got to the phone (ie there is no point asking in an emergency to be rung back at a residence where the phone is always likely to be engaged or in a school where no-one will go and get them. They may have to be prepared to ring back to the UK themselves should they urgently need to speak to someone).
Good advice prior to departure alerts the unwary to potential problems but it will not be so negative or focused on difficulties that it robs the student of confidence. It will empower through information and constructive discussion. No matter how good the prior briefing, it is almost inevitable that some things will not go according to plan and that there will be unforeseen difficulties. With a little thought and help and advice from the right quarters, most problems can be solved. Not only is residence abroad of immense academic benefit, it also offers invaluable experience in dealing with life's problems which is of very considerable relevance to future job prospects and personal development.
Dr Elisabeth Lillie
University of Ulster, 1999