It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Nope, not the holiday season; time to decide where to go abroad. I’m looking at you, sophomores. 65% of Davidson students study abroad, and most go during their junior fall, which means it’s time for sophomores to decide where in the world they’ll go. With application deadlines coming in the next few months, now is the time to play pin the tail on the donkey with a map.
Okay, maybe it’s not that easy. Maybe you want to think a bit more about where you’ll spend 3-4 months away from the comforts of our little neck of the woods in Davidson, NC. As I am two and a half months into my semester abroad, I thought I’d weigh in to make your decision process a bit easier. Since the world is really, really big, I thought I’d break this into two parts. Next week, Davidson collegiettes around the world will chime in with some awesome tidbits about different cities and programs, but this week I’ll start with some basic tips to help you begin the decision process.
1. Don’t be afraid to boldly go where no collegiette has gone before…
Okay, maybe it’s not that dramatic of a decision, but in all seriousness, if you hear about a program that sounds super interesting to you, go for it. This is your chance to live somewhere you may never go again. Student visas are amazing. When we’re real people in the real world, it’s a lot more complicated and expensive to live abroad, so take advantage of this opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and blaze a new trail.
2. Definitely research things like food, shopping, and nightlife.
A collegiette’s got to eat, and drink, and party, and of course, shop. If you need your weekly (or nightly) dose of Chardonnay, find a city with cheap/decent wine. If you can’t live without Mexican food, get on Yelp and make sure there’s a place to get your guac on. If you’re a woman who needs her products or her retail therapy, don’t deprive yourself. Nightlife is different in every city. The club scene might be your thing, or perhaps you’re into sitting in a café for hours on end sipping wine and contemplating existential topics with international intellectuals. Or, if you want a mix figure out where you can get both. Bottom line, we are creatures of comfort. Some collegiettes are into freeing themselves from these things for a semester, but if you need certain things to feel at home or have fun, there’s no shame in Googling where you can find them.
3. Branch out and do your own thing.
Serious FOMO can get to you if it seems like a lot of your friends are thinking of going to the same country or even city for their semester abroad. While it’s easy to say, “OMG let’s find an adorable flat and travel everywhere together!” with your bestie, it really will make your friendship stronger if you find yourself across the world from each other. Plus, if you’re all scattered throughout the world, you have free places to stay, a s***load of stories to share when you get back to school, and guaranteed worldly gifts (if you have generous friends who will fill their bag with souvenirs for you).
4. It is “study” abroad, so think (a little bit) about academics.
If you aren’t done with all of your requirements at Davidson, think about getting major, minor, or distribution requirement credit for a class our two. Depending on the program you go on, chances are your classes will be a nice break from the Davidson grind, so it wouldn’t hurt to knock a class out so that you don’t have to take it when you get back. Otherwise, don’t stress too much. Get your work done efficiently so you can get out and see the world.
5. Finally, rely on your collegiette network to help make your decision easier.
Talk to your big, your older friends, your fellow sophomores who went abroad this year, or even your parents who went abroad before WhatsApp connected them to their friends around the world. Chances are, they have some excellent advice for before and after you make your decision. Stay tuned for next week to hear from Davidson collegiettes around the world!