1. The application process isn’t a quick one hour questionnaire about what kind of housing you want to live in. It’s a huge process similar to the college application process but immensely worse. You’re leaving the country for an entire semester, the prep that goes into that is unbelievable. You will spend the entire semester before, if not longer, preparing for this trip.
2. You will miss your home. This isn’t you as a freshman a few years ago waving goodbye to Mom and Dad and wondering when you’ll see them again (Thanksgiving); this is you waving goodbye to your country and wondering when you’ll see it again. Every tradition you’ve ever known will be different, every face will be unrecognizable, and the language might even be entirely different. You have to mentally prepare yourself to literally leave behind all comforts of home to immerse yourself into this new country.
3. It’s going to cost a lot more than you’re expecting. Regardless of which country you’re planning to visit, your savings are going to need to be tapped into. There’s not only the standards like the cost of the flights or actual program fee but there will be fees for obtaining your visa, passport, deposits, course fees, and transportation fees just to name a few. Not to mention that you will want to purchase everything in sight and trek across Europe for the weekend simply because you can. Prepare for this.
4. This will truly be the first time you’re on your own. Once again, freshman year of college won’t quite match up to this experience. If you forgot those black boots at home that you love or you’re simply craving a night away from the dining hall, your mom can easily enough come up to see you. Thousands of miles away in a foreign country doesn’t offer the same opportunities as your university does. You’ll be lucky if your parents manage to make the trip out at all.
5. It’ll be hard. You’re going to get homesick and you’re going to get FOMO when all of your friends are hitting up your favorite bars for a birthday party, but you’re going to have the absolute time of your life. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that you were lucky enough to be given so don’t take it for granted. Live every moment and soak in every piece of culture you can.