Studying abroad can be a huge rite of passage for some college students. A slew of juniors at Northwestern are gone in the fall every year, attending school in foreign countries. Just from experience, I’ve noticed that the majority of students going abroad study in Europe, hitting up the usual countries of France, Italy, Spain and the UK. While these aren’t third world countries, it’s shocking just how different a place with a language barrier can be to the United States! From the way the locals dress to the way they eat, Italy has been such a contrast to what I have grown up with for the past 21 years. Here’s how to deal with different aspects of studying abroad.
Beforehand, Research
While this might be too late for those already abroad, knowledge is always power in this situation! You can never know too much about a county, and this can easily be seen in the countless books I bought on Italy, the Italian language and the city I was studying in: Florence! Once you arrive at your destination, ask your host family any questions you may have, even go to locals if you can. You’re bound to only scratch the surface so much with books and the internet; a lot is learned on the fly when out and about in your new habitat.
Be Considerate
While this may be no shock to some of you, Americans can be super annoying in foreign countries. It looks so bad when an American tries to slowly mouth English to a native while ordering a panino. It’s completely fine if you don’t know the native tongue (although I would highly recommend even an elementary knowledge) please don’t try and conform the locals to English. In Italy, on a daily basis, I come across maybe 3 servers or workers who speak English. While in country, fully immerse yourself in the culture and try to learn the language. It is very hard to not only start fresh in a new place with a new language, but you’ll look back on your study abroad experience and be so happy you did so.
Being considerate also means to respect their ways. In Greece, where I studied in a seminar program for a week and a half, it was super rude to not finish your food. It was seriously the most insulting thing you could do. One night we were in the middle of nowhere, there was one street lamp and one tavern to eat at. The owner was the sweetest elderly man who spoke absolutely no English and he just kept piling food on. Added to the strange wine, it was such a struggle to finish the food, but we managed to chow down and finished most of it. In Italy it’s also insanely insulting to walk into any space with people and not acknowledge them, even if it’s just with a “Ciao!” Knowing the culture and adhering to the rules of decorum semi ensures a smooth semester.
Listen to Your Instincts
While you never want to seem rude, the same thing applies around the world as it does at home: if you ever feel like you’re in danger or that a situation isn’t right, remove yourself. While I just ranted about being considerate to the locals, know that no one should invade your personal space or try and be inappropriate to you. In an environment where you’re already coming off the culture shock and probably getting anxiety from being in a new town and country, it may seem like you’re supposed to follow orders or do something that seems highly uncomfortable to you. But sexual and verbal harassment happen everywhere. Know what your limits are and be careful, just like you would in a city like in the Unites States.
Studying abroad should produce some of the best experiences of your life! Although you may feel alone or anxious at times, know that you are certainly not alone in that aspect. Others are experiencing the same things as you, they are having the same emotions and possibly even having the same meltdowns as you are. Definitely reach out for help, but also know that it gets better! The small stuff is the least of your worries, so go and take the world by storm!
*photos courtesy of Alani Vargas, gifs courtesy of giphy.com