The Friendship Fortnight festivities continue. Fara will be coming to Reach this August and wrote about her hopes for this summer. Read on for her great friendship building tactics, and make sure to join a program here, if you haven’t done so already. You too can meet many other amazing students this year!
This August, I’ll be travelling 10.5 thousand kilometres to the country where some of my favourite children’s authors grew up. I’m still waiting for the realization that I’m going to the UK to sink in. When it does, I think I’ll find it just a little mind-blowing and life-altering – just a little, I’m sure.
At Reach Cambridge, I’m joining the Politics and International Relations course during Program 3. I’m interested in Politics and IR because I’m interested in interactions between countries and how they work towards their own idealistic goals. What matters most to me are the faces involved in international relations and how macro-level relationships shape the life of everyday individuals, people who eat their lunch in suburban cafes.
I like meeting other teens and kids who live lives vastly different from mine.It makes me realize that the world I know is small, and the diversity of people’s stories does not decrease just because the global community seems to be getting closer knit. (Time to be honest: sixteen-plus years hasn’t given me a whole lot of time to meet teens and other young people from several dozen countries, but that’s why I’m looking forward to arriving at Reach Cambridge!)
I think a lot of friendships begin with walking up to a total stranger, saying “hi,” extending a handshake (preferably not ice cold nor sweaty with nervousness), and expressing an interest in someone else’s day.
Market Square, Cambridge
I’m not naturally gifted with the ability or inclination to generate conversations about thirty different things at once, so walking up to other teens to say hi took effort at first – also the ability to laugh at myself for being awkward! But several of these efforts have culminated in meaningful relationships I really value. I’m excited to meet other teens from such a diverse number of countries and backgrounds this August.
I’m particularly looking forward to Reach’s excursions and activities! (Also the cooler weather, it’ll be a lovely change – I hope!) Going on field trips with my classmates and participating in activities outside of class is one of the most relaxing ways to get to know people – doing things together seems to break a lot of ice quickly. I’m also definitely planning a visit to the library and to explore the University City with my new friends. I definitely anticipate losing track of the days while doing all of these things.
