As a study abroad student, you will need to take the initiative to meet people.  Just as you have an established circle of friends in the U.S., students overseas have established friends and habits.  Do not be afraid to start a conversation and to pursue contact in order to meet new people, but always keep your safety in mind.  This is especially important for females.

Remember to use common sense when giving out your address or phone number.  It is wise to set up times and places to meet others rather than give out any personal information.  For those living with a family, be sure to check with your host family before giving out their phone number, address, or inviting guests over.  Do not have overnight guests without checking with your roommate or host family first.  In general, overnight guests are not appropriate with a host family.

Relationships

For many of you, your stay will be the first time out of the U.S.  You may have the opportunity to make some very good friends.  These types of strong friendships are not only encouraged but can lead to continued exchanges between you and your new-found friends after you return home.  Nevertheless, please keep a few words of caution in mind:

• Be careful of persons wanting to get to know you very quickly, as they may have an ulterior motive.  Meet people in public places during the day, preferably with one or two of your friends at a specific time and place.  Do not give out your phone number or address freely, as this can lead to problems for you, program staff, other participants, or your host family.
• U.S. citizens can be easy to identify.  They often dress differently, speak loudly in groups, carry backpacks, wear tennis shoes, and speak with an American accent.  Some people view U.S. citizens as wealthy and may want to become friends in order to obtain your money or your passport.  Use common sense and be cautious.  Be aware of your surrounding environment!
• Entering into a relationship overseas should be approached with the same precautions as at home.  It can be very tempting to be charmed by the idea of a once-in-a-lifetime romance, but you should consider any relationship carefully, particularly when you are overseas.  Keep in mind that in your host country there may be different cultural values and rules regarding dating and relationships.  Proceed cautiously, realizing that you are only in the country for a short period of time.  If you do enter into a long-term relationship, we recommend that you also see how the relationship functions in the U.S., where you are at home and no longer acting as a guest does.
• Proceed with caution with any relationship and only enter into a close relationship after knowing the partner for a sustained period of time.  U.S. women are often stereotyped as easy sexual partners, and each year women find themselves in difficult situations because they were not cautious.  Do not go to the home or apartment of someone you do not know well, especially if there is drinking involved.  Most problems of this kind are alcohol-related.  Be extremely careful of drinking in bars.  There have been reported cases of drinks being drugged, so it would be a good idea to have the drink opened while you are watching and not to accept a drink brought to the table and paid for by “an admirer”.
• Please be aware that in any type of relationship, whether heterosexual or homosexual, you could end up with a sexually transmitted disease, AIDS, or possibly a pregnancy.  This is not meant as a scare tactic, but rather for you to realize that it can and has happened.  Be sure that you know the person very well before developing a more intimate relationship and always demand that you both take necessary precautions.

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