The Truth About Studying Abroad

My name is Natasha and I am a JYA studying Anthropology and Archaeology here at St. Andrews. For those of you who do not know, JYA stands for ‘Junior Year Abroad’. This means that I voluntarily decided to leave my university, my friends, and my family to spend a year studying in an entirely new country.  With one semester abroad under my belt, I was asked to share my thoughts, impressions, and experiences so far with the Her Campus community. Such a daunting task! How can I express everything that has happened to me the past few months in a few hundred words? My insane experience requires a unique description; therefore, I have prepared for you a poem (an acrostic poem that is, my study of poetry ended in the 2nd grade).

A JYA in St. Andrews

Stressful, the word to describe the few weeks leading up to and after my arrival at St. Andrews. From having to pack a year’s worth of belongings into two suitcases, to having to relive my first year of university all over again, my emotions were buckled into a crazy roller coaster during the months of August and September.  I had traveled to Europe before and spent long stretches of time away from home, but something seemed different about this trip.

Trendy, this was a facet of St. Andrew’s life that I was not expecting. Walking around the town is like having a front row seat to a fashion show. It can seem a little bit intimidating at first when you come from a university where leggings, a giant sweatshirt, and a baseball cap is the standard uniform. However I found it to be such an exciting aspect of the school. Everyone has his or her own unique style here and it has helped me discover my own.

Accepting, no matter what I am wearing, I have found this university to be such a welcoming place. From the people in my hall to those in my seminars, everyone has embraced me, and all of my quirky personality traits.

Netflix, I may be studying abroad and should be soaking up every moment here in Scotland, but I am still a young adult of the 21st century, so Netflix is a big part of my life here.

Demanding, a lot of my friends and family joke that I am on a yearlong holiday, but what they do not realize the St. Andrews environment can be very demanding. Demanding of your time, your energy, your money… Everyday I try to find a balance between completing my never-ending coursework and enjoying the social atmosphere of St. Andrews, often leaving me with an intense feeling of exhaustion.

Rewarding, I may always feel tired, but what university student is not?

Eye opening, as cheesy as this may seem, this experience has helped me learn a lot about myself and the world around me. I have learned new phrases, tried new food, experienced different traditions and cultures, and as an anthropology student, it is all very exciting!

Wanderlust, This semester has allowed me the rare opportunity to travel the beautiful and exciting European continent, something many Americans are unable to do in their lifetimes.

St. Andrews, my favorite place on earth. I cannot be more thrilled to spend the rest of the year here!  

• standrews
• Student Experience
• study abroad
• travel