This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Hofstra chapter.
Before jet setting your way off to study abroad there is a fairly common misconception that you’ll have all this FOMO about things at your home university or that the homesickness, that is inevitably, will be so strong that it’ll test your will to stay. Well I will gladly debunk these rumors, even though those are the things that make your friends and family feel better and slightly less jealous. After getting to know your study abroad group friendships will be made freshman year style. And by that I mean you’ll have an inseparable huge squad of people in which your friendship seems to have no expiration
So with that being said the FOMO won’t be for home but rather in your study abroad country every time pretty much anyone does something. You’ll find yourself being “Yes Man” even though you’re exhausted or you have homework or you know you really should not be doing this to your wallet! In preparation here are tips for willing your way to saying no, with conviction:
Scenario 1: Arguably the most difficult to say no to.
Your friends are all going out tonight and aren’t really taking no for an answer no matter what excuse you give, after all its Wednesday and you guys ALWAYS go to the same spot so you have to go!
No. The first and easiest way to get out of this is ghosting. If you so much as hear talk about going out tonight and no that you really cannot go then as soon as you get back from class don’t answer your door, don’t answer your phone and avoid an social media evidence that you are in fact around!
Scenario 2:
Your friend wants to go get lunch or dinner and you happen to be walking with them. They ask if you’re hungry meanwhile you promised yourself to save money and are going to cook at home.
Sorry friend, this may be a lie but nobody questions this. Tell them that you promised mom or dad or grandma or grandpa that you would Skype them since its been forever, otherwise you so would! They can’t really guilt you into giving up the opportunity to talk to family over food.
Scenario 3:
Now you wouldn’t think this would be a concern until you cross borders but often times you’ll feel the pressure to go to another country or another city within your study abroad country that’s a bit far by your friends. This temptation is so difficult to resist but your wallet depends on you not going.
An easy way to get out of this is to either make concrete plans within your host city so that it makes it seem as though you legitimately can’t leave. The other is to just tell your friends that it actually wouldn’t be fun if you came cause you wouldn’t be able to do anything or go out the following week, which is true.
~ Safe Travels