I focused mainly on ways of maintaining relationships during studying abroad, as well as forms of communication, and ways of keeping in touch with family and friends. I have been researching the significance and magnitude of the social media during individuals absence from home and the ways of using them. I also linked them with the concept of social capital and how it can be used in different situations. I analyzed the focus group transcript, which I made with six people who were on an exchange abroad. I first encoded the text, added an overview of the most common categories and concepts, and later identified the links between them. I have made two research questions, 1) What factors prevail with students on an exchange in maintaining contact with family and friends? and 2) What are the practices of maintaining relationships and communication between individuals who have gone on an exchange? In my findings, I combined the most common concepts and linked them to the theoretical part of the thesis.
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