Junior year of College. This is the year many students find themselves studying abroad in places like London, France, Spain, and countless other amazing countries. The same, however, could not be said for me.
I transferred schools my sophomore year of college. For me, this was the best decision that I could have made. However, what I missed out on was having that extra year to find myself within my college’s curriculum and taking interesting classes to explore new areas. I had to carefully plan out my schedule around making sure I got all of the credits I needed while also trying to make sure they fulfilled requirements towards a few majors I was inclined on pursuing.
This all left me to not go anywhere near my school’s Off-Campus Study office. I knew many people went abroad, but I’m a first-generation student and no family member had ever studied abroad. I also felt that with my transferring to a new school, it just wouldn’t be a possibility because of credits and other requirements. So, I stayed away from anything related to studying abroad so that I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
Going back home this winter break, I found myself at the kitchen table talking to my parents about all the adventures my friends had gone on and talking about all the adventures other friends would be sure to encounter the following semester. I couldn’t help but become filled with regret, thinking about what my junior year would have been like had I given myself the opportunity to explore the possibility of going abroad. Where would I have studied? Who would I have met? What kind of classes would I have taken? All these never-ending questions swirled around in my mind.
Looking back at this moment now, however, I realize that even though I do regret not looking into the possibility of going abroad, I don’t regret staying on campus last semester either. Last semester was filled with meeting other people at my school who I had never talked to. I took classes that helped me decide what I want to do in life and I gave my all to my academics. I chose to do what was best for myself and left a toxic situation I was in all while some of my closest friends stood by me and reminded me why I was fortunate enough to call them my friends.
If I could give any advice to people looking to go abroad is to not be afraid to play around with the possibility, but if you can’t make it work with you schedule or it ends up falling through somehow, don’t sweat it. At the end of the day, make the best out of your situation. Being stuck in the past and what could have been will not allow you to grow but choosing to grow in the environment you find yourself in at the moment will.