Of the thousands of amazing opportunities that college life offers you, one of the more major ones is study abroad. Yes, on your home campus you have volunteering at the animal shelter, taking classes with unparalleled professors, the downtown scene with its incredible restaurants and beautiful views, campus on the weekends, etc. All of that contributes to why you love your college; so why would you want to leave? In your sophomore year, questions about study abroad start to arise. Your friends ask you, your advisor suggests locations, and most importantly, you look into yourself to find out if living in a different country for four plus months is something you’d like to do with your life. I always knew I wanted to study abroad, and found it hard to understand why anyone would turn the offer down. I talked with a few peers, used a little empathy myself, and here is what I came up with for the thought process of studying abroad. And here you enter into the mind of a female college student thinking about studying abroad:
Study abroad, that sounds awesome. I can experience a whole other culture, travel around, expand my perspective. Let’s do it!
So, what are my options? I go to a small school, so there probably aren’t that many places I can go.
There’s so many places I can go. Where am I going to go?? And when am I going to go?? Spring, definitely spring semester. Skip the cold.
Spain? No, Oxford. Shoot, the deadline already passed. Italy? Italy.
S***, this is a ton of paperwork and I don’t know if I can get it in on time.
*Google images Perugia, Italy* This place is BEAUTIFUL! There’s restaurants and a night-life and, hell, I can drink there. And the apartments I’ll be living in! Did I just see fresh, local grocery shopping? The train ride is only 4€?? I’ll be able to travel literally wherever I want.
Classes, classes, what should I take? Italian Storytales? I’m down. Pottery? Sure. Study abroad doesn’t impact your SMC gpa, so as long as I get above a C+ I’m golden.
Application is done! Now we wait, and google image some more.
S***, I’ll be returning from study abroad…a senior? I don’t want to leave college.
I’m missing out on a slew of SMC fun, a whole semester, four courses I could be taking here, my friends, my roommates, Derby Day, Mardi Gras…
And my family? How will I live so far away from them. And my dog?? He’s actually going to forget I even exist.
I got accepted!! I am officially living in Perugia, Italy for four months. What next? Looks like I need a VISA, that sounds world-travelly.
Getting your VISA is a whole circle of hell, and that was the unhappiest Italian man I have ever met. I drove 2.5 hours through Boston traffic for a 15 minute consultation?
The info packet just came in! Oh man, culture shock? Here comes the anxiety. You can only use heat for 8 hours a day? This says, “don’t blow dry your hair while baking a cake.” What kind of place am I going to?
This opportunity is so rare. I get to live in a different country and culture, travel as much as I want, while I’m still young and relatively not tied down. What am I doing letting apprehension and anxiety cloud that? I am beyond excited, ready to experience abroad and be open to all that comes my way. January 5th, here I come.
To quote two favorites:
“The best way to know the world is to love many things.” -Vincent Van Gogh
“The point is that the new, the different, is almost by definition scary. But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning piles up, the world opens to you.” -James Lincoln Collier, “Anxiety: Challenge by Another Name”
Images Sourced From
http://www.worldatlas.com/worldmaps/worldpoliticallarge.jpg
http://www.schematherapysociety.org/Resources/Pictures/bigstock-Travel-concept-73253152.jpg