Travelling as a Group — What Are the Benefits?

by Joe Jamieson

You have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to your healthcare elective. You’ll need to figure out which departments you want to spend time in, which destination best suits your travel style, how long you want to stay for…

You can ask us for help with any of those things at any time — in fact, getting expert advice on all of the above is part of the service we offer.

But one of the decisions you’ll have to make for yourself is whether you want to travel solo or as part of a group. Both have advantages, so it all comes down to how you feel about each option and your personal circumstances.

In this article you’ll discover the benefits of travelling as part of a group. If you want to find out more about what the Work the World experience is like if you’re travelling solo, we have an article for that too.

It might be the difference between travelling overseas or staying at home

Travelling by yourself can be daunting, especially if you’re not an extrovert. It’s absolutely possible and we would always encourage you to give it a go if that’s your only option.

But if travelling as part of a group is what makes the difference between you heading overseas for a once-in-a-lifetime elective experience or not, then roping your friends in is a no brainer.

Nathan Kendall (KENDALL24346)

Travelling with friends — either on your course or in other healthcare disciplines — gives you a sense of familiarity and stability. This might be important to you if you’re feeling nervous about being in a new country and new clinical setting.

You’ll be living with other healthcare students in the Work the World house, so you’re never truly alone, but having a group of friends with you can help settle the nerves.

Have a deeper and more enriching experience

Travelling with people you already know gives the overseas experience a unique dynamic. You’re bringing familiar personalities with their individual perspectives into a brand new environment.

If you’re choosing to travel with them, chances are these are people you like and trust, so getting their views and opinions throughout the trip can add depth and enrich your own individual experience.

One of the benefits of travelling solo is that you can do what you want, when you want. But that does mean you might not push yourself to try things you wouldn’t ordinarily choose to do. But if you’re travelling as part of a group of friends, you’ll probably end up seeing and experiencing new things you didn’t know you’d enjoy.

Meet new people

Some would argue that the best way to make new friends on an overseas trip like this is to travel by yourself. And for some people that might be true.

But for others, having a group of familiar faces around can give you the extra confidence you might need to help you get chatting to your new housemates in the Work the World house.

And it’s not just in the house that you’ll meet new people and make new friends. When you’re out and about in the city, or off on weekend trips, having a group of friends from home with you can help you step out of your social comfort zone.

You might strike up conversations with other travellers that lead to a fun night out, or even start chatting to the local people in their language.

Strengthen your friendships

Studies have shown that university is where most of us make the friends we end up keeping for life. And what better way to cement those friendships, through thick and thin, than on an overseas elective adventure like this?

You’ll live together (you can even share a room if you let us know ahead of time), travel to placement together, and explore the country together. You’ll celebrate the highs and support each other during the lows.

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This kind of experience strengthens bonds, and your trip together to a far-flung country is something you will always remember that you did together.

It will help shape you all as individuals, but also as a group. The experience will help shape your ideas and conversations about healthcare, give you all clinical experience that makes you stand out, and give you a big advantage to help you get ahead during your careers.

Quick reminder: if you’re leaning towards the idea of travelling solo, there’s no-one better placed to facilitate the experience of a lifetime than us. A huge number of the people who travel with us undertake solo trips — read more about how you can do it too.