Les Roches is a global community. It is made up of students who come from around the world and form unique, lifelong friendships with one another. Having such far-reaching but unbreakable bonds is also a vital part of International Friendship Day, an annual celebration of the trust, safety and sanctity of friendships.
With International Friendship Day taking place on Monday 30 July (although it will be celebrated on Sunday 5 August in other countries), and with our next semester approaching, we take a look at how you can form permanent friendships with people from across the globe.
Making friends on campus
Starting university is scary for everyone. However, it is even more daunting if you have come from a completely different country. Arriving in Switzerland, you may be initially overwhelmed by such disparate values and cultures. However, you are not alone – everyone starting at Les Roches, and indeed every other university, will be feeling nervous and scared.
How can you combat this and successfully make friends? Here is a list of things to do:
- Don’t panic – If you haven’t got lots of friends by the end of week one, try not to worry. It takes time and often university students don’t find their core group of friends until much later.
- Join an online group – Les Roches has a New Students Facebook group, where future Les Rochians can engage with one another prior to arriving on campus. This is a great way to overcome any shyness you have and begin interacting with other people.
- Join a society – Whether you are interested in a particular sport or pastime, there is a good chance that there will be a society or team to suit your interests. If there isn’t, you could always set up your own for others to find and join.
- Don’t be afraid to talk – Say hello to your fellow freshers, keep the door of your accommodation open and be open to making the first move.
[quote]International Friendship Day has particular resonance at Les Roches. Not only do our students forge incredible kinships with one another, they also stay friends while they move from country to country. [/quote]
Turning friends into business partners
Building friendships is not only important while at Les Roches, it is equally as vital after you graduate. No matter what you do for a living or what you aspire to become, building real relationships in the world of work is incredibly valuable. If you hope to one day be a General Manager in a five-star hotel, friendships will be an integral part of that role – you will have to be personable, attentive and considerate to your clients, building relationships that will ensure they become regular customers. (Klonopin)
Les Roches – a global destination
International Friendship Day has particular resonance at Les Roches. Not only do our students forge incredible kinships with one another, they also stay friends while they move from country to country. Les Roches’ students represent over 100 different nationalities, creating a rich, multicultural atmosphere.
As a school, we demonstrated this in a creative fashion – nearly 300 students gathered on our Switzerland campus to create a gigantic world map, under the direction of world-famous video artist, Guillaume Reymond. Visible from the air, the event took several hours, with over 800 images taken. The resulting shot and video display the individuality and creativity of our students.
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