June 10, 2018

What They Don’t Tell You Before Studying Abroad

What They Don’t Tell You Before Studying Abroad

WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU BEFORE STUDYING ABROAD

Before I went abroad I feel like all I heard about actually going abroad was all all the glamour and glory. But the thing people don’t talk about are the hardships that come along with studying abroad. Don’t get me wrong, the good totally outweighs the bad (at least for me), but there will definitely be times where you feel confused or scared or even sad. I think in the end it forces you to grow as a person and I still think it was all worth it.

I wanted to create this post mostly to bring up some of those topics. I want to talk about the things people don’t talk about. Here’s a list of some of what they don’t tell you before studying abroad.

01. You’ll definitely miss home

Adjusting to a new way of life, eating different food, and being surrounded by people who don’t speak your native language isn’t easy. Moving to a new country is going to be hard. The first couple weeks or even months you might feel out of place, scared, and will definitely miss home. You’ll see your best friends from home doing fun things on Snapchat and your family going out to dinner without you. I think the hardest part is not having someone you’re one-hundred percent comfortable with right away and that’s what makes you miss home.

I think home is more of a feeling and there’s definitely ways you can make that feeling come to life while you’re abroad. Whether it’s getting close to your professors, finding your abroad best friends, or eating at a local restaurant that feels homey, it’s all a part of the abroad experience and finding that home away from home. It might take weeks, even months. Missing home is definitely a part of what they don’t tell you about studying abroad. 

02. Traveling is exhausting

ang around the globe in iceland what they don't tell you about studying abroad

The pictures might look all glam and glory (I mean how often do you see pics of people crying or sad anyway?), but traveling can get exhausting. There will be weekends where you’ll want to stay in and watch Netflix and trips you go on where you’ll be physically drained and emotionally exhausted. Even though traveling is so so so exciting and fun, there will come a time where you’ll want to hang at home and rest. DO IT. You’ll feel so much better later if you actually listen to your body and take a couple days to rest.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved all the trips I did when I went abroad. I learned so much, laughed so much, and saw so much and all the exhaustion was totally worth it. (I mean you can rest when you’re dead right?)

03. It’s expensive

Studying abroad can get expensive. It’s all a part of the study abroad experience: traveling to new countries, eating new food, going on tours, and they all cost a price. I think the best way to do it is by giving yourself a daily budget. If you save more in the beginning, you can afford to be boujee near the end of your semester

 

04. You might not like it

Everyone always talks about how much they loved their study abroad experience. They talk about all the countries they visited and all the new things to learn. What they don’t talk about is the hardships that come along with it. There might come a time where you feel confused and will want to go home. It’s all a part of the growth process and I hope you learn to love your experience abroad.

05. You’ll miss food from home

breakfast club london what they don't tell you about studying abroad

You don’t think you’ll miss home food as much as you will and you’ll miss it A LOT. It’s actually crazy because you’re trying so much new foods but then you end up craving like wings or tacos. You’ll go out of your way to find a place that serves american style breakfast and when you do, you’ll rave about it. (Seen above, an amazing place in London with American style breakfast). But once you get home, you’ll miss the food you had abroad. It’s weird how your body works.

So this is just a short list of what they don’t tell you before studying abroad. Studying abroad in Rome was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I’m honestly so thankful I had the opportunity to study abroad. I hope this list doesn’t deter anyone from actually going abroad because in the end it is all worth it.

So this is just a short list of what they don’t tell you before studying abroad. Studying abroad in Rome was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I’m honestly so thankful I had the opportunity to study abroad. I hope this list doesn’t deter anyone from actually going abroad because in the end it is all worth it.

Want more info on studying abroad?

Check out all my study abroad posts here!