This past fall semester, I did a study abroad program in Freiburg, Germany. Now that I’m back at Colby, I’ve been reminiscing about my experience and how much I learned while I was off campus— especially the lessons I had to learn the hard way. After some reflection, I’ve compiled a list of some practical tips and helpful advice that I wish someone had told me before I studied abroad!
1. Do not overpack.
I learned this lesson the very, very, very hard way. My abroad program even sent out an email the week before I left telling everyone very specifically not to bring more than one suitcase. I ignored their advice, figuring that I might suffer on the way there with my heavy bags, but at least I’d have more clothing options when I arrived.
When I landed in Frankfurt and got my bags from baggage claim, I very quickly realized my mistake. I needed to get from the airport terminal to the train station with two giant bags, both of which were pushing the fifty pound weight limit. I could barely carry one at a time. Trying to lift both bags on the escalator as everyone watched me, and almost falling several times in the process, will go down as one of my most embarrassing moments. Thankfully I was traveling with my boyfriend, who got sick of me lagging so far behind and ended up just carrying one of the bags for me. If I had been alone, I genuinely don’t know how I would have gotten to Freiburg.
Eventually we got to the train platform, where boarding and trying to maneuver my luggage through the train cars was even more of a nightmare. Both of my suitcases were way too big to fit in any overhead compartments and pulling them through the aisles was very challenging. I definitely ran over several people’s feet and got many angry looks.
I cannot stress enough how much I regret my overpacking. I ended up donating four boxes of clothes before I left Germany, leaving my suitcases much lighter and more manageable on the way back. It’s also important to account for the fact that you’ll probably be bringing some gifts and souvenirs back home, and you’ll need extra room in your suitcase anyway.
2. Reserve a seat on all your trains.
This tip is more applicable if you’re studying abroad in Europe and traveling a lot by train. Reserving a seat costs extra on most train lines, and it’s easy to assume that nobody else is traveling the weekend that you are and you’ll be able to find an unreserved seat without any problems. My friends and I fell prey to this assumption quite a few times and definitely regretted it.
At least in my experience, every train I ever took was pretty packed. There was never a time when my assumption that this wouldn’t be a popular traveling weekend turned out to be correct. My advice would be to pay the extra 7 Euros, because there’s nothing more uncomfortable than having to sit in between the train cars by the doors with all your luggage, or worse, having to stand for multiple hours because you can’t find a seat.
3. Attend every social event or program-sponsored activity, especially when you don’t want to.
I tried to follow this rule as much as I could while I was abroad. On the days when I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and avoid the stresses of being in a foreign country, I knew what I needed most was to get out in the world and actually interact with people. As an introvert, it was exhausting saying “yes” to every social gathering and event, but I truly believe my abroad experience was better because of it. I was able to grow closer to the people in my program, and by the end of the trip I rarely felt the sense of loneliness and isolation I felt when I first arrived in Germany.
4. Be prepared for things to be different than you expected.
Before I arrived in Germany, I received an email about my housing. The email informed me that I had “no roommates, no suitmates.” I was excited that I’d be living in a single, studio apartment where I’d be in control of the space, would have the freedom to cook in my own kitchen, and would have my privacy when I wanted it. I spent the next month mentally preparing to live alone, and I was honestly really looking forward to it.
However, when I got to Germany, I learned I actually had three German suitmates and a shared kitchen and bathroom. After a long day of traveling, it was really shocking and overwhelming to be informed that I’d have to adjust to living with three strangers.
By the end of my stay, however, I was really grateful that I’d gotten the experience of living in Germany with other German university students. We never became best friends, but when I had successful interactions with them in German, it really boosted my confidence in my speaking abilities. They were very kind to me and kept to themselves most of the time, and I soon realized I really had no reason to be worried in the first place.
Having things be so different than I had anticipated and planned for right off the bat was intimidating, but it taught me an important lesson about keeping a flexible mindset when going into an experience so different than anything you’ve done before.
5. Branch out into the community.
My program in Germany was comprised of 28 students from different American universities. At times, it was overwhelming living in a city and feeling like I only knew those 28 people. The antidote to this was making sure that I wasn’t only interacting with the other Americans in Freiburg, but with the greater community as well.
Luckily, being able to talk to my roommates and my friends’ roommates really helped with this. It was so important for me and my friends to learn about the city from the students that live there year round. I spent plenty of late nights chatting with my friends and their roommates, comparing the differences between our cultures and getting to know each other in the process.
Having some regular hangout spots around the city also helped me feel more connected to my surroundings. Being able to walk into the same coffee shop or grocery store every day and make small talk with some familiar faces was really comforting and made me feel more like I was building a home and a routine in this new city.
Since Freiburg was a university town, there were tons of student-run events happening all the time. Going to student protests, themed clubs, and other events in the city really made me feel like I was a part of a broader community of students, not just a visitor or a tourist.