Top things to consider before getting a penpal

Penpals are a fantastic way to make new friends and get to know someone more intimately.

However, if you are after a friendship that has the potential to be long-lasting then it is important to choose your penpal carefully in order to ensure that you are really able to connect with the person you are writing to.

So what considerations should you bear in mind when selecting a penpal?

Location

Penpals by their very nature are often based far away from you – otherwise there would be little point in writing letters, as opposed to meeting in person.

However, some locations may make it much more difficult to write to someone, due to the lack of infrastructure.

For this reason, you should consider whether it is best to email or write handwritten letters.

Age

It is often easier to write to someone in the same age group, as they will have similar life experiences to you and are more likely to have hobbies in common.

If age is an important factor to you, then you should specify this when selecting a penpal.

Gender

Most penpal sites allow you to select which gender you write to. However, if writing to someone of the same gender is important to you, or if indeed, you are looking for someone of the opposite sex this should be stated when you sign up to any website or organisation, because some sites will automatically pick people at random.

Occupation

There are many different reasons why someone would choose to get a penpal. Sometimes it is just to support a soldier, other times they want to get in touch with people who have the same ambitions as them.

Whatever the case may be, if this refers to you then it is best to sign up to specific websites that allow you to get in touch with people in the industry sector that you are looking for. Forcespenpals.co.uk is one such website.