Image courtesy of blog.tortugabackpacks.com
Now is about the time of the year when I really started to panic about studying abroad. It’s one thing to decide to leave Williams for a year in the middle of the winter when school is at its most grim, it’s another thing to face having to leave when the sun is shining and Darty season is at its peak. The last few weeks of my sophomore year at Williams were tear filled and stressful. I’d built a home for myself at Williams. I had great friends, a team that I loved, and I was even enjoying my spring classes (well as much as you can really enjoy three 8:30am wake ups a week). The process of leaving also seemed so daunting. There were Visa applications, and packing to worry about, not to mention the fear of what was ahead. Would I make friends? Would I be miserable? Would the incessant English rain and clouds suck the sunshine out of my life? Everything seemed so up in the air and I was beginning to question my decision.
One year later, I can confidently tell you that I made the right choice in deciding to study abroad. Of course it has been difficult, especially being away for a full year. Many of my friends are still back at Williams and I REALLY miss snack bar, but this year has been nothing but rewarding. Sure, there have been difficult moments. Being a (semi)adult has had its challenges. There was the time I got so sick that I ended up in the hospital 7 hours away from my parents in a totally different healthcare system, and the time that I got lost on my way to rugby practice and got stranded without cell service in a massive university park. But for the most part this experience has been incredibly rewarding. I’ve had a pretty amazing year. I promised myself when I arrived that I would dive into everything and that’s exactly what I’ve done. I’ve played on two sports teams, traveled in Europe with my parents during breaks, tackled some really difficult material in my classes, and learned that it IS actually possible to bang out a 10 page paper in 4 hours (WARNING: I do not recommend).
Looking back now, before my final term at Oxford, I realize that many of the difficulties I anticipated were relatively small potatoes. The lessons I’ve learned have been so big by comparison that it seems silly that I even dwelt on them in the first place. Being away from Williams for a while has given me so much perspective. There is a whole wide world outside of the Purple Valley and it is brimming with adventures. For those of you who are getting cold feet, or who have submitted the paperwork, but aren’t sure if you really want to go, my advice is to just do it. If you can make it work, study abroad. Learn about a new place, experience life somewhere else, and push yourself outside of your comfort zone. You might just gain some invaluable insights along the way. And perhaps, if you’re like me, you’ll even come to appreciate the home you left behind at Williams even more.