Nervous About Study Abroad?

I choose to go abroad to Paris this past spring semester.  I was not very confident in my French skills but I had taken French classes for years and was always interested in French culture.  My best friend and I signed up for the Boston University Paris Internship program and opted to do a homestay together.

As exciting as this adventure seemed, I had many concerns before leaving.  Is four months a long time to be away from home?  How often and where should I travel?  Were language barriers going to be a constant issue?

As many students are currently arriving to their study abroad destinations, I want to offer some advice.  All of the concerns I had before leaving were natural and normal, and many students can probably relate to these feelings.

Most importantly, four months may seem like a long time, but I can confidently say it goes by in the blink of an eye.  Between exploring new restaurants, traveling to other countries and discovering new neighborhoods in Paris, I was constantly on the go.  I recommend speaking to others who have already spent a semester in the city that you are studying in to get a list of recommendations.  This is extremely helpful, especially at the beginning when you are not sure where to go.  Once you are more comfortable with the city, make a bucket list with a group of friends of things you want to do and see throughout the semester.

Along similar lines, take advantage of the city you are in.  Especially when studying in Europe, the prospect of easy travel is enticing.  When I was abroad, I was lucky enough to make it to multiple cities, but also balanced this with spending a lot of time in Paris as well.  If you make too many travel plans, you will miss out on what is right in front of you.

Living in a city where English was not the main language definitely had its perks and downfalls.  Like I had previously mentioned, I was not confident with my French skills before leaving.  It was often intimidating as an American to speak French to a Francophone person, but the classroom was always a safe environment to practice.

Although, I had definite moments of frustration, like when I tried to get cold medicine and the pharmacist did not understand what I was trying to say.  Yet, these moments of frustration were fleeting.  Living in a country where I was constantly challenged everyday by language ended up being a fulfilling task, as I had to work hard at it.

These are just some of the questions that lurked in my head before heading off to Paris.  Most people have not had the experience of living in a foreign country for a full four months, so it is only natural to feel jittery before leaving.  Everyone has some concerns before departing, whether they express them or not.

Take advantage of the semester and try your best to not to get caught up missing what is back at home.  I wish I could do it all again!

• nervous
• study abroad