17 Reasons Why You SHOULDN’T Study Abroad

 

*A sarcastic memoir of how study abroad ruins you for the better

 

 

1. Planning weekends to Spain or Morocco can be stressful. Ugh, lifes hard. 

 

 

2. The food will make it physically impossible for you to ever eat at Harcombe again. 

 

Spaghetti carbonara. Ham and cheese crepes. Goulash soup. Chocolate covered waffles. 

 

 

3. Your American bubble will be popped. You will meet people from all over the world, 

 

both locals and people studying with you from different countries. 

 

 

4. If you think picking out an outfit for Carolina Cup is difficult, try picking out an outfit to 

 

wear in Paris after fashion week. The pressure is on. 

 

 

5. Being around men with accents will give you unrealistic expectations of guys for the rest 

 

of your life. 

 

 

6. There’s no Little Caesars in Italy so is it even worth going? 

 

 

7. The time difference will make it tricky to figure out when to instagram pictures of you 

 

kicking the Leaning Tower of Pisa or frolicking on the Cliffs of Moher. 

 

 

8. You’re going to miss your friends at Clemson. It’s a guaranteed truth. Luckily, there are 

 

amazing people in every study abroad program that make the heartache a little easier. 

 

 

9. Apartment problems that are easy to deal with in America (broken shower, wobbly chair, 

 

lost key) will be an adventure here. Think language barrier. 

 

 

10. People are fabulous. It’ll be shocking at first not to see oversized t-shirts and norts, but 

 

soon you’ll adjust to their ways (or try to). 

 

 

11. Don’t study abroad in Europe if dryers are your thing. Most places philosophically don’t 

 

believe in dryers. Washing machines and air-drying on racks is the way of life here. 

 

 

12. If you like structure, never leave America. Europe is a lot more relaxed about many 

 

things. It’s easy to get overexcited about the lack of peeing in the street laws, but once the 

 

initial thrill wears off you’ll settle down. 

 

 

13. Clemson engineering finals didn’t prepare you for the classes here. Wine tasting and 

 

cooking class will be taxing. 

 

 

14. The buildings are old. If you hate ornate ceilings and exquisite balconies, it’s going to be 

 

your worst nightmare. 

 

 

 

15. You wont be able to go to PCB, Destin, or Cancun for spring break. You’ll probably be 

 

stuck with a trip to the beaches of Greece, Croatia, or Italy. 

 

 

16. You get lost all the time. Forgetting where you are while walking down cobblestone 

 

streets with quaint cafes on either side will happen often. 

 

 

17. Now that you’ve gotten a taste of studying abroad, you know that its not enough. You’ve 

 

already started looking at your classes for the next two years trying to figure out if you 

 

can study abroad again. You’ve pondered taking a year to travel after graduation. You’ve 

 

looked up how much a flight to India or Argentina or Sweden is. Your bank account has 

 

been officially renamed “Travel funds.” Your hunger for travel will never be fulfilled, but 

 

you’ll never stop trying after these four unforgettable months. 

 

Studying abroad ruins you, but in the best way possible.