 Confidence - You will encounter a great variety of new people from backgrounds quite different to your own. You will also get involved in new activities and situations. You will learn new skills and improve on old ones. All this will lead to an increase in confidence, as you become more aware of what you are good at and better at getting on with people. Independence - This may be your first opportunity to live away from home. You will have to cook for yourself, clean for yourself, get on with a group of strangers in a foreign environment, manage your money, keep yourself occupied and meet new people but without the help of old friends or family members. You will get much better at looking after yourself. New skills - You will learn vital life skills you simply never got the chance to learn at school. You'll be more able to identify your values, interests and core strengths. You'll be better at dealing with uncertain and difficult situations, you'll learn how to negotiate, to get on with people of different backgrounds and cultures, and how to create and seize on opportunities. These skills will serve you at university, at work, with your friends, for the rest of your life. Cultural awareness - An extended period of time spent in a specific community will make you far more aware of the differences between cultures. You'll learn why differences in religion, political system and outlook emerge and hopefully you'll eventually be treated as an equal, rather than as a tourist. |
