As we have passed the halfway mark of the semester, I have taken some time to reflect on these past few months. Not only did I move 4,000 miles away from home to study in a new country, but I did it with little confidence. I remember telling an older undergraduate student that I planned to study abroad in the spring semester of my sophomore year, as most students at Saint Louis University do. Immediately she asked me who I was going with. Her enthusiasm for me quickly turned to worry and shock when I told her I was doing it alone. Although it is very typical for people to plan to study abroad with their friend groups, or even just one friend, do not let it discourage you from studying abroad if you do not have people to go with. I promise, you can still do it, coming from an introverted and shy person who is currently doing it.
Here are some study abroad tips for people who plan to travel abroad on their own!
Prepare to struggle (just a little)
That heading may sound terrifying and you are probably thinking, “absolutely not.” No one enjoys feeling uncomfortable and struggling with things, but it is bound to happen at least once during your time abroad. It can be anything from managing culture shock to navigating the language barrier. For example, I am not a fan of how close people can get to you when walking on the sidewalk or riding the metro, but for the locals, it is completely normal. Also, as someone who has never taken a foreign language class before — shoutout to my very small and limited high school — I knew that I was going to struggle to communicate with people while abroad. However, I prepared myself to accept some level of struggle, so when the time came, I was not as overwhelmed as I would have been.
Embrace the independence
College has already taught me a lot about independence, but studying abroad has taken it to a new level. For the first time in my life, I am living in an apartment. Yes, that sounds very underwhelming, but given the context (an apartment in a whole different country than my family and with seven girls I had never previously known), it can be a lot. On my first night in Madrid, none of my roommates had arrived yet, so I had to take on this big, scary change by myself. I will not lie, there were a lot of tears shed that night and a lot of “I can’t do this, I need to fly back home” thoughts wavering through my head. However, flash forward two months, and I now adore my roommates, my apartment and navigating this city all on my own.
Say “yes!”
Before this experience, I was not the type of person to go out a lot or who wanted to make plans with people frequently. Obviously, that attitude has to change unless you want to have a boring study abroad experience. Since being here, I have found the people I enjoy travelling and spending time with. It is OK if, going into the semester abroad, you do not have those people; you will find them at some point. However, you cannot find them if you do not say “yes” and agree to plans. Step out of your comfort zone and try new things. It can be scary, trust me — I know, but everyone else is in the same position. They, too, have most likely not studied abroad yet. They, too, are new to this life.
Overcome the homesickness
Unfortunately, you will become homesick at some point. It is like a study abroad right of passage. I have two pieces of advice for handling this. First, embrace it. Acknowledge that you miss home, your friends, your family and your pets. Take time to reconnect with the people you miss, call or text them and look at old photos. Next, think about the life you have where you are. Focus on what is in front of you now and how, in a few months, you will be back home and missing it. Think of all of the people who have made an impact on your life abroad: new friends, professors or your host family. Appreciating what you have available in the present moment will help ease homesickness.
Overall, taking that first step in choosing to study abroad is scary, no matter if you have friends doing it or not. Just keep reminding yourself that you can do it. The memories you make, the people you meet, the culture you learn about and the places you will see will make all of the scary moments feel like nothing.