Tips for Going Abroad
Studying abroad can be a daunting experience, especially for someone who has not traveled outside of the country often. For me, I had been on a family vacation to Mexico once, so the idea of traveling to Panama was incredibly far outside of my comfort zone. Fast–forward a month, I could not be happier that I pushed myself to study abroad on this trip. The experiences, people, food, culture, learning, and travel were incredible, and I hope that I can use this article to help you feel just a little more comfortable about making the choice to study abroad by focusing on three tips that helped me.
Tip 1: Do your research on your destination. Understanding the country I was about to call home for ten days was extremely comforting. I watched Youtube videos, listened to podcasts, watched TikToks, talked to family friends who had visited, and absorbed just about any other content I could find. This gave me so much peace of mind that the place I was about to visit was not going to be completely unknown to me. Find as many resources as you (this is easy with the internet) and dive into the country, I promise it will make the transition easier if you have some rough expectations or ideas set.
Tip 2: Make friends on your trip. Most study abroad trips involve groups of students that are traveling together. Maybe they are from KU, a different university in the country, or from other countries, regardless, you are all experiencing this together, so finding people to lean on is helpful. I spoke with the professors taking us on the trip and was able to find a few other girls that I had things in common with. We met before we traveled abroad, and it made the experience so much better!
Tip 3: Take a deep breath! If you are anything like me, I find myself stressing about scenarios that are wildly out of my control. Traveling to new countries is scary, but the trips are well-planned and you are surrounded by people who want you to have the best experience. In moments when I was freaked out or experiencing ‘culture shock’, my good friend on the trip reminded me to take a deep breath. Traveling abroad reminded me that no one ever grows while they are inside of their comfort zone!
I hope these tips make you feel just a little more secure in your decision to study abroad. I wouldn’t trade my experiences for the world and believe that college is the best time to take advantage of the amazing opportunities we have in front of us. Be brave and take the trip!
