Staying connected through Technology
Back in the day, when students studied abroad, their families had to wait for a postcard in the mail with a few hastily-written lines in order to know what was going on with their traveler.
These days, inexpensive long-distance plans and technology have changed all that. Students now make use of web sites, such as Facebook and Skype — free software that allows them to make free video and voice calls, as well as send instant messages over the Internet.
Melissa Del Castillo '07 made good use of all these options as a Hanover student in order to stay connected to her family in Lima, Peru, and when she studied/worked/traveled all over the globe.
"My parents had a pretty good international cell phone plan so they were able to call me pretty often," she said. "I also used e-mail a lot. It helped a lot receive those frequent phone calls, especially because I didn't really have anyone to speak Spanish to other than my family in school, so it was great to be able to just speak in Spanish and catch up with them."
With her friends, Del Castillo took advantage of technology, using e-mail, the Web site Facebook, and Skype. "(Skype) is a great way to call friends when you are away because its so much cheaper." Even better, it was easy to use.
Even with the advances in technology, communicating doesn't always go smoothly.
"Depending on where I went on the study abroad trips, sometimes even e-mailing was hard," said Del Castillo. "China was particularly hard to find a good internet connection, especially because we were changing cities every few days."
All said, these difficulties seem minor, when compared to the advantages of more frequent communication between students and their families. Given the rapid pace with which technology has advanced in the last few decades, one can only wonder what the future holds.
For more information about study abroad, check out the newest issue of The Hanoverian, arriving in mailboxes next month.
