1. You have to put your life here on pause for a whole semester.
FALSE! For one, trust me: the whole world will not alter if you leave for a semester. If you have true friends, they will keep in touch and you will pick up when you get back like you never even left. But that’s beside the point, the point is there are several other options besides having to put life on pause for a whole semester. There are Maymesters, alternative spring break trips, and there are even winter break study abroad programs. Now, if you are an International Business major like me, you may want to consider looking into a Maymester program. With the Maymester you do not have to step out of the country for 3-5 months at a time, it’s only a quick 1 ½ months of absolute fabulousness, and the best part is in that 1 ½ moth you meet the fun little mandatory study aboard requirement for IB majors – YAY!
2. It is super expensive to study aboard and will only add to those already killer student loans you have.
FALSE(ish)! What I mean by this is that it can be super expensive to study aboard, if you do not take all the many amazing scholarship opportunities right at your fingertips. It blows my mind how when I apply for a scholarship and later talked to the people who selected recipients, I was one of a handful of people who actually applied. My advice: save yourself some money and write that little two paragraph essay on why you want to kite surf in Costa Rica for a month or why you want to camp out in Iceland just to spot the Aroura Borealis. Once you get the scholarship and you are on your way, if you want to keep saving money it is important not to lose your head while your off on you magical “educational” vacation. Set limits on spending for yourself. For example, last summer when I was in Spain, I set a limit to spend no more than 1K, and also a limit that I was only allowed to buy one type of every article of clothing, i.e. one bikini, one skirt, one dress etc. Also do research on the place you’re going and get to know the exchange rate and the cost of goods. It helps you become an educated consumer, and it allows you to be better informed so you don’t get ripped off (especially in a place where you don’t speak the language well or at all). Bottom line: be smart about your money.
3. You have to speak the language of where you are going as well as know as much as possible about where you’re going.
FALSE! This may seem a bit contradictory to my last point, but other than understanding the economy and learning some basic health information, the less you know about you new temporary home the better. I have always said that the adventure truly begins when the plans start to fall apart. But I found that also to be true when I got on the plane to Spain and did not know a single person and had truly no idea what to expect when I landed. As long as you have some basic elementary level understanding of the language like: ‘how much is ice cream’, ‘where’s the bathroom’, ‘no I do not want my cereal hot’, and ‘may I please have another Jack and Coke’; you will be absolutely fine. Trust me, the locals know you are American, it is written all over you. Luckily, it’s typical that people are more than willing to help you and be patient as you try to communicate the most basic of ideas across linguistic lines.
4. The people you will meet will only be a part of your life for that one semester/month/etc.
FALSE! The friends that you meet on your abroad adventure are going to help you grow along that journey, but they’ll be with you long after that as well. And whether you keep in touch through Whatsapp or Snapchat, like I do with my host family, they will always be a part of your experience and they will be active in the stories you tell of the place that will now hold a piece of your heart.
5. Once you come back to America, your experiences abroad will be little more than fond memories.
FALSE!!!!! Honestly, I often find myself drifting back to Spain in my dreams or when I’m having a rough day. I miss my family in Trujillo and the friends I made in the city. I love the memories I made as well as the strength I developed and the things I learned about myself while I was abroad. My Maymester in Spain truly helped to shape me and definitely added to who I am as a person. I cannot wait to go back and hug mis hermanas y mis padres de España. Please for all that is good, go abroad if you can, go abroad and grow into the empowered person you were meant to be.