1) Everything is better with an open mind
When I first found out that I was going on exchange, I couldn’t wait to plan trips to all of the places that I had ever dreamed of going to in Europe. From watching the sparkling lights of the Eiffel tower, to taking a selfie with Big Ben, I knew exactly what I wanted to do during my time there and was dead-set on making it happen. With this kind of determination, you can probably imagine my hesitation when my friend, who I was planning on travelling with for two weeks before our schools started, suggested that we visit places that I had never thought of, like Iceland or Hungary, instead. Semi-reluctantly, I went along with it, and you know what? Those turned out to be some of my absolute favourite places. I learned very early on that having an open mind and getting out of your comfort zone as much as possible is one of the best decisions you can make and leads to some of the most memorable stories.
2) You’re going to get really good at packing
If you catch the travel bug (as most of us do on exchange!), you’re going to be flying/training/bussing a lot. You’ll become a pro at having your liquids in a clear container, squeezing an impressive amount of luggage into your all-too-small carry-on, and doing it all in a matter of minutes.
3) Talk to as many people as you can
Chances are that you’re going to have some people that you know going to the same exchange school as you. It’s going to be really tempting to just stick with them the whole time, after all, you’re in a completely new environment and they’re the closest things you have to home, but try your very best to venture out! It’s great to have familiar faces around when you’re getting settled in, and you’re all going to get closer for sure, but one of the best things that I did was force myself to meet new people. Whether it’s attending orientation events put on by your university, working in group projects with people from all over the world, or striking up a conversation with the person in front of you at the cafeteria line (all things that I did, might I add!), go meet people! I also think it’s worth noting that meeting the locals is a fantastic idea that people often don’t bother doing. I met some of the sweetest full-time students at my school who I still keep in contact with and who helped me out a bunch when I was looking for good food recommendations and navigating my way through the city. Of course, not everyone you meet is going to be a long-time friend, but I guarantee that you’re going to learn a thing or two that you didn’t know before, with every conversation you have.
4) Homesickness is unavoidable but it won’t be the end of the world
One of the things that you’ll probably be warned about the most before leaving is that you’re going to get homesick. Chances are that it’s going to be true, but the extent of it is different for everyone, and it’s not always bad. For me, I felt tinges of sadness when I would be enjoying a delicious brunch, and thinking about how much my mom would have loved it too or seeing a wandering cat and thinking of my little ball of fur at home. However, I was lucky because I was way too busy having the time of my life to dwell on these things. If you start to feel yourself getting homesick, as hard as it might be, try your best to remember how amazing of an opportunity you have in front of you and find what works for you to help you see that – whether it’s sending postcards to your friends or Facetiming your dog (and family!).
5) Learn to roll with the punches
An avid planner at heart (see my post on bullet journaling here), I was ready to map out every little detail for the next six months of my life, pen in hand. So you can probably imagine the level of shock that I felt when I (very quickly) learned that no matter how prepared you think you are, things are going to happen that you don’t see coming. Within the first week of my travels, I slipped, twisted my knee really badly and ended up in the hospital. Luckily nothing was broken, but I had to hobble my way through cities for the next month or so. Fast forward a couple of months to another surprise of my friends and I being within seconds of missing our flight to Morocco. Finally, the cherry on top of it all, on my very last trip before coming home, our AirBnB in Paris got broken into. My laptop & camera, with every picture that I had taken on exchange and over the past five years, were stolen, leaving me nothing but an empty bag. Did all of these things suck? You bet! Did I see any of it coming? Definitely not, but life happens, and there will be so many things that are out of your control. The only thing that you do have power over is how you react to it all, so take the good with the bad and learn from it all.
6) It’s going to be one of the best times of your life
Let me tell you, the reverse culture shock is real. After the initial excitement of not having to live out of a suitcase and seeing your friends and family is over, I spent a good couple of weeks after coming home wishing that I was back in Europe. I’d also be lying if I said that I don’t get dashes of nostalgia now and then when I see Facebook posts from the student exchange network at my university or pictures on Instagram from lower years just starting their exchange now. Whether you realize it or not, exchange is going to be one of the most memorable times of your life to date. Sure, it’s not always going to be rainbows and butterflies (see 5), but when else are you going to have four-six months of time with minimal responsibilities to explore a whole new place? Likely the answer is never. So if you’re getting ready to go on exchange soon or sitting in your dorm room halfway across the world as you read this, trust me when I say that you should appreciate each and every moment, because they are going to be some of the best memories of your life.