Study abroad is an amazing, incredibly overwhelming experience. As a student preparing to study abroad in spring of 2018, I broke down the overwhelming feelings into these stages.
1. Overwhelmed with options: you start researching where to go but there are SO MANY CHOICES. What continent? Which country? How long? Exchange or study abroad? How much money do I want to spend?
2. Overwhelmed with ideas: Once you finally decide where you want to go, you get way too excited and Pinterest every single possible thing you could see, do or eat while you’re there. Do I do a nighttime safari in Singapore or a treehouse/ziplining excursion in Laos? Or do I scuba dive in Thailand? Or do I spend a week down in Australia? The possibilities are ENDLESS.
3. Overwhelmed with things to do: Once you decide where you want to go, get past the excitement of all the amazing things you are going to do, then go to the Study Abroad website, you’ll realize how many little details you have to take care of. An application with 7 parts, online trainings about studying abroad, meeting with a study abroad advisor, meeting with an academic advisor, and oh yeah, don’t forget to get a passport if you don’t already have one!
4. Overwhelmed with confusion: There will be a point when you start the application, do a bunch of research about your destination, hear about others’ study abroad experiences, and then maybe question where you are going. I had moments of “They had an awesome experience there, maybe I should go there instead.” I have two points about this: 1. When this happens, look up all of the things that got you excited about your destination in the first place. 2. If all else fails, apply for a different place. As long as it’s before the deadline, there is nothing wrong with changing your mind, as long as it’s for the right reasons.
5. Overwhelmed with stress: There will come a time where you will be very stressed about leaving your family, friends and school for a long time. You will be stressed about being on your own in a foreign country, especially if you don’t speak the language. You may be stressed about all of the forms you have to do, things you have to pack and money you have to pay. Remember that all of these things are normal and come with any new adventure.
6. Overwhelmed with excitement: Once you get past the stress, freaking out, confusion and details that go into a study abroad trip, you will become very excited! Eventually, there will be nothing on your to do list except to grab your bags and get on a plane!