Dear international students 2011,

studying abroad is a very exciting and literally life changing experience you surely will enjoy. But all beginnings are difficult. Therefore, as a team of over 200 international universities and several international student organizations, we pooled together and initiated this welcome abroad forum 2011 – making sure you will start your studies abroad in the right way.

The main purpose of our forum is to help you to make friends with your future local and international classmates – even before meeting them personally at your new campus. To which extent, however, our forum is able to successfully connect you, depends on you. Therefore, we warmly encourage you to take the first initiative: Introduce yourself, state the institution you are going to study at, discuss your questions and excitement; ask advice about living and learning from local students, see what is happening in your new university city - and why not already arrange a meeting for a first drink with your future class mates?

In short: We strongly recommend to use this forum to turn strangers into friends -- and make sure you will have a perfect time abroad!

All the best to all of you, good luck with your studies abroad - and we are keen to meeting you!

Your WISHES Team