This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.
To the girl that will study abroad,
It seriously doesn’t get better than this. Making new friends, experiencing new cultures, the nightlife, and *drum roll* THE FOOD. If you are lucky enough to study abroad , brace yourself for the one of the best times of your life and cherish every moment because it truly goes by in the blink of an eye.
To fully enjoy your time overseas, here are some tips and some things I would keep in mind…
- You may not have all of the resources abroad that you have back home,
- Americans are very privileged in some ways. You might not have a dryer for your clothes, finding a supermarket thats open on a Sunday might be tricky, or your showers might get cold after five minutes, you might live in an apartment with 7 flights of stairs and no elevator. DEAL WITH IT. When you are living in a different country, spending your days exploring and your nights partying, the last thing you should stress about is hanging your clothes on a hang line. Don’t let the small stuff get to you.
- Stay in hostels
- Not only are hostels extremely less expensive, but you get to meet so many more people! Being abroad was my first experience staying in a hostel, and I’m going to be completely honest, at first I hated it and was freaked out about sharing a room with strangers, but you get used to it. Getting out of your comfort zone will allow you to meet some dope people traveling from all over the world. (my favorite hostel in Europe so far is The Flying Pig in Amsterdam)
- Meet up with your bestie’s!!!!
- You don’t necessarily have to plan every trip super far in advance, but it is worth it to find a weekend where you can meet up with your girlfriends that are also studying abroad! Once everyone touches base in their host country,everyone gets super busy planning trips. Exploring different countries with new people is fun but nothing compares to exploring with your best friends.
- Keep self care in mind
- Yes, studying abroad is way more about being abroad then it is studying so a lot of the time it can feel like a vacation. Keep in mind that you are traveling can physically and mentally wear you out. Try to make time for things that make you feel good. Go for a run, find a good book to read on flights, write in a journal and remember, and try to make healthy choices when you can. Going out every night will make you feel worse than your most terrible hangover after a game-day ever could. Be kind to your bod!!!
- Don’t get comfortable with an everyday routine
- Being in your host country throughout the week is very chill, especially when you’ve been traveling all weekend. Use this time to recuperate but don’t get complacent with hanging out at home all day. Doing something different everyday can be as simple as taking a different route back home from class or going to a new cafe in a different part of town. See as much as your host country as you possibly can.
My emotions are running high knowing I have less than 6 weeks of this amazing experience left. I hope every girl is lucky enough to experience the gift of traveling.
Remember to keep an open mind and heart, adventure awaits!
HCXO,
Daniela