10 Things you need to know before Studying abroad

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I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about studying abroad: That you don’t actually “study”, that by just living somewhere you’ll pick up the language without effort, that everything goes perfectly and your semester consists of frolicking from country to country without a care in the world. There are small truths to each of those statements, but there is so much more you need to be aware of before you embark!

Top 10 things you need to know before you study abroad.

1. It’s called “Study” Abroad for a reason

Yep, you heard me. Although this isn’t the case for everyone, i needed all of my study abroad classes to transfer as a part of my Spanish major. Lots of people study abroad because they have spare time, and as a result, don’t need to put as much effort into their classes, especially if they transfer as pass/fail. i needed at least a C+ to pass, and while i could’ve gotten by with a lot less effort than I actually put into my classes (its my overachiever homeschooler coming out, i can’t help it), I wanted to get as much out of the experience as possible. My school also had a strict attendance policy, so I didn’t cut class nearly as much as I though I was going to. i don’t think I skipped once LOL

That being said, there was very minimal “studying” going on, especially because the main goal of the classes I took were to further my language skills which resulted in not a lot of substantial material that I needed to study or memorize. Me being in class for 6 hours straight through 4 days a week and living with a host family was enough for my Spanish to drastically improve without a lot of effort put in outside of my classes.

Take that as you will, but my point I was definitely not expecting those 6 hour days of spanish class straight through, as i genuinely thought i would be able to get by without going to class the majority of the time (definitely not the case). Be prepared to go to school, write papers, put on presentations. And don’t be salty about it! There’s so much you can get out of it if you just let yourself.

2. You will not learn a language just by touching down in the country. You also won’t learn the language after 5 months in said country just by being “immersed.”

Unless you have incredible language learning skills, or simply come to perfect a language you already have extensive knowledge of, you will actually have to put a ton of effort into this aspect of study abroad.

I had quite a few years of Spanish under my belt and have spent extensive time in Spanish speaking countries before, but I had never been to Spain, let alone that region of Spain. I was in for a SURPRISE when my host-mom picked me up from the bus station and started rattling off Spanish with the thickest southern accent you’ve ever heard. I literally understood nothing.

If you’re living with a host family in a country that speaks a different language than you, there WILL be a lot of head nodding and “sí”s being employed during that first month of dinners, don’t feel bad! Tell them to slow down, repeat, look up a word on your phone if you need to! Tell them to correct you when you say something wrong, and don’t be embarrassed! You’re there to learn, and practice is the only way to learn, no matter how scared or uncomfortable you are.

They’ll appreciate your effort, I promise. As will all the shopkeepers, baristas, waiters, teachers, and people you meet at the club. Take any chance you have to practice, or you’ll come back to your home fully capable of understanding people but without any ability to communicate your feelings or engage them in conversation. There’s nothing more frustrating than that!

Try to make a pact with your English speaking friends to use Spanish even with each other, It’s so easy to learn new things from even them, and your combined knowledge can usually be perfect for creating the exact sentence you’re trying to say. This is the hardest tip to follow, I KNOW its so easy to slip into English because your brain is fried and you don’t want to use effort, but this is THE thing that will prevent your language skills from improving. (The other thing is English Netflix. I’m begging you, avoid it like the plague. Nearly every show has a Spanish option or at the very least Spanish subtitles, get that passive knowledge acquisition IN baby). Try your BEST to speak as little English as possible. I wish I had made more of an effort! If I had known this before I studied abroad I think i would have been much more prepared to put in the work.

3. Fitness will more than likely be on the back burner during your time abroad, and this is OKAY.

The first thing i did after unpack my suitcase after arriving at my host-home was to walk down the street and buy myself a membership to the local gym. It’s something that I could use as my escape and as a break for my brain that didn’t involve hours on end of English Netflix. I actually managed to go pretty consistently, at least 3 times a week. I found friends at my school who also went (shoutout Izzy and our cardio Mondays) which really helped hold me accountable to going consistently.

That, coupled with my 50 minute walk to school (and the 50 minutes back everyday as well) should be enough to keep me in shape. I was super wrong LOL!! Now, obviously being in shape differs for everyone. Some people will gain weight, some will lose weight. Gaining weight was definitely my issue, and the extremely carb-heavy diet of Europeans did me dirty. Even with the consistent gym-going and walking that I did (sometimes walking an entire marathon in a weekend when I was in other countries!) I gained 20 pounds during my time abroad. Thankfully, it wasn’t super noticeable, but I could tell that my clothes were fitting differently.

Now, I could’ve drank less, cut back on the trips to pastry shops or stopped getting as many tapas with friends after class. I could’ve only eaten one stroop-waffle while I was walking around Amsterdam as opposed to 2 (a day HAHA). But I definitely would’ve missed out on bonding with my new friends, eating things I will never be able to have in the United States, and I wouldn’t have been able to have found my favorite pastry at Casita del Pan if I didn’t literally eat the whole menu.

I was freaking out to my sister about it and her words of wisdom were these:

“Emma, Just embrace the Europe fluff. You’re living in EUROPE, live it up.”

And so I did. As soon as I came home and switched back to my normal diet, I Quickly got back on track. No big deal. I absolutely do not regret the ungodly amount of stroop-waffles I had that one weekend. I would regret it if I didn’t try every flavor though, I guarantee you.

Don’t worry about it! If you can maintain what you have going now, great! If not, please please please don’t freak out.

4. I don’t care how careful of a traveler you are, no one is immune to travel mishaps.

Listen, I consider myself a seasoned traveler, and not even in resort-cruise kinda way. I’ve done lots of travel in South America, I’ve experienced elections in India, I’m a GOOD TRAVELER OKAY

But when you’re in a new country, distracted by all the beautiful things and kind people, ish happens. Nearly half of my group got their phones stolen at some point (please back your photos up every single day), and let me be the first to tell you, customs are impossible. Please avoid this by being alert at all times! I had my phone in a zipped pocket inside my zipped purse, and it’s currently chilling out in Western Sahara according to Find my IPhone. It really be like that sometimes.

When i was in Portugal in a hostel, A stranger asked me if I had a stick of gum. Of course I did, and I unlocked my locker to pull it out of my purse, and i gave her a stick. I put the keys to my locker in my coat pocket, which I then put on, and at the end of the night I even slept in it on my top bunk. When I woke up, the keys were no longer in my pocket, and all my cash was gone. I’m fairly certain the woman who asked for the stick of gum was simply scoping out what I had on hand. Thank god she didn’t feel the need to take my passport, and I don’t think there was any way I could have prevented that unless i straight up didn’t sleep.

(Please don’t blame it on the Hostel, the hostel was incredible and I loved it. Blame it on the shady people that exist literally everywhere).

One time I left my passport on a train in the Netherlands because I put it on the armrest and it slid all the way behind my seat and even though I double checked my seat when leaving, it just wasn’t visible and I got off the train. ISH HAPPENS

So if travel mishaps present themselves on your study abroad, try to just roll with the punches. Go out and get a new phone or have someone from home ship one. Be as safe as you can, and don’t blame yourself for the actions of shady people. Just be alert! If you leave your passport on a train, Call the freaking train station as soon as you realize, and I’m sure they’ll have it waiting for you in security. I really almost called my parents crying but pulled on my big-girl britches and handled it, and didn’t tell them until I was back on U.S. soil with my passport in hand.

Do your very best to not have situations like these, and do your very best to handle them without freaking out when they do.

5. I KNOW there’s a European fling vision dancing around in your mind, please don’t waste your time

Before anyone studies abroad, there’s always the thought of “maybe it could be me!” Okay, maybe you’re one of the few who meets the love of their life while they’re abroad, but there’s a strong chance it won’t happen. First of all, there are always amazing people out there, but theres also a lot of super lame (and sketchy) people out there too. There are so many more ways you could spend your time, like going out with friends and strengthening those bonds, traveling, and having different cultural experiences. Especially if you’re going on Tinder dates, I’m sure you already know that 9/10 times they’re a freaking dead end. (I say that because I’d be way more on board with you going on a date with a cute boy you met in person and hit it off with, ya feel?)

I spent many an evening sitting inconspicuously alone at a bar, brushing off anyone and anything that bothered me because I was intently focused on my friend and her tinder date who were at the other end of the bar, per her request. If you have to go to those lengths to be comfortable on a date its definitely not worth it.

Also, boys suck no matter how romantic the location.

6. Even though you’re the one living everyone’s dream, you will have major FOMO about everything going on at home.

A quick vocabulary lesson: FOMO is the Fear Of Missing Out and it’s a disease i live with every single day. I am the poster child for FOMO. I can’t take naps because I’m convinced something fun will happen somewhere and I won’t be able to be a part of it. So imagine how hard it was for me to leave my University, my favorite place on the planet, full of my most favorite people on the planet, for five whole months. Tailgate pictures and sorority even invites had my stomach in knots, I was so sad about missing everything.

Anytime i voiced how i was feeling, everyone would brush off these feelings, and say that they were unjustified because I was out there living in Europe, eating churros con chocolate all day and traveling the world every other weekend. It makes sense why they would say that; in hind-sight it does seem really ridiculous.

So I’m here to tell you before you study abroad and are subjected to this: YOUR FEELINGS ARE VALID. You can feel whatever you want to feel, and most of the time you cant help what your brain decides to think. Don’t let anyone tell you that just because you’re having an incredible experience you can’t feel sad for missing other things Or people at home. It’s not so much even being homesick, its just…… the fear of missing out LOL I don’t know how else to describe it.

So you’ll be in a dope country, eating amazing food, meeting amazing people, traveling, partying, and living your best life, and you’ll feel sad when things happen at home without you. It’s gonna happen, and you’re allowed to feel sad. Just try to put things into perspective and keep your mind in a good place.

7. Literally do not bring all the clothes you think you need

I know, I KNOW. Every single study abroad tips blog posts has this bullet point, and I really didn’t listen. I tried to stock up on “stylish, European” (LOL What even) clothes before I left, and my suitcase was stuffed to the BRIM. Once I got there, I immediately felt extremely inferior to all those bangin spanish women who all had impeccable taste. And then I met my host mom. My beautiful, boss-lady of a host mom, who ran her own fashion boutique and felt the overwhelming need to overhaul my entire wardrobe (definitely didn’t have the money because tried to revamp the wardrobe before I left and then I was too busy buying plane tickets so we’re just now getting around to it 8 months later). Don’t make this mistake, touch down in Europe and head straight to Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, and Zara. HERE are more study abroad packing tips!

(Ft. Me trying to be stylish—>)

8. Don’t travel every weekend, leave time to explore your own city

I see so many people making the mistake of booking a flight every single weekend. Even on my own study abroad program, we got down to the final 3 or 4 weekends in Granada, and my friends had trips for every single weekend. Towards the end of your trip, you really start to want to just spend time in your own city, re-go to all of your favorite bars, clubs, parks, museums, and restaurants to solidify the memories in your brain. Every one of my friends wished that they had at least left the last two weekends towards the end to dedicate to Granada so that we could all stay together and have a last hurrah.

Way too many people study abroad and hardly get to know their own city, and it’s so sad to me! Find all the nooks and crannies that not everyone has the privilege to find. It is so much better to know a place like it was your home, than know 10 or 15 cities on the most surface level possible. I know it’s tempting to get your country count up and have it steadily climb, but trust me when I say getting to know your own city is so much more rewarding. Before you study abroad and get to your city, make a list of all the things you want to accomplish and make sure you schedule time to make all of those things happen.

9. That being said, plan your trips and book your flights ahead of time!

You’re only living in a foreign country for so long, chances are you’re so much closer to other foreign countries that’s you’ve ever been before, and you need to take advantage of that! Travel can be so cheap, especially when you plan ahead.

Sky scanner was my best friend, and I frequently used the “everywhere” tool to see where I could go for the cheapest. I definitely was not picky when it came to travel; Skyscanner found me 25 euro round trip tickets to Portugal in November? Guess who was going to Portugal in November? THIS GIRL. If that flight had been to Ireland, guess where i would’ve gone. You already know i’d be chilling out at the cliffs of Moher.

I tried to plan a trip or two a month, that way I never really got burned out or dreaded leaving for yet another weekend trip.

Once it gets closer to the date of your weekend trip, start looking at hostels and planning things to do! Lots of my friends landed in a new country with no idea what the main attractions even where, which led to a lot of backtracking, retracing steps, and inefficiency. I, however, am a serial planner, and am proud to say whenever people tagged along with me on my trips, we truly had the best time and maximized what few days we had there. While it might seem fun to be spontaneous (and it can be!) try to plan a little bit (even if its in the cab on the way to your hostel). HERE is the ultimate guide to planning weekend trips while studying abroad, and HERE is a list of five of my favorite trips.

10. Studying Abroad will be the best decision you ever make.

And i don’t say this lightly! This definitely ties into the point about FOMO, but if you’re scared of studying abroad for a whole semester and are thinking about just going for a summer, hear me when I say this: a summer is not enough.

As soon as you stay in a city for two or three weeks, the travel bug will dig it’s annoying little claws into you and won’t let go. A semester is the perfect amount of time. Of course, no shade at all to the people who’s majors, sports, or schedules don’t allow them to leave their university for a semester, as their only option is summers. But if you have the choice, make the leap of faith and GO. The people you meet, the things you’ll see, the perspective you’ll gain…. it’s priceless.

And when you say “Emma, Theres definitely a hefty price tag on that, what are you talking about?” No. America’s college tuition is ridiculously expensive, and study abroad programs will run you generally 10k a semester, and thats without my financial aid and scholarships I received. We ended up saving about 8 or 9 thousand dollars that semester; don’t let the myth that studying abroad is only available to the wealthy get to you, because its not true.

And There you have it! Those are the 10 things I wish I knew before I studied abroad, and what you need to know before you do too.

If you’re on the fence, go. If you’re scared of missing out on things at home, if you feel guilty for leaving your friends and family for so long, if no one in your family has studied abroad and they don’t think its a good idea, this is your permission slip. PLEASE go. Studying abroad will change your life.

The world is yours <3

Read more about studying abroad:

The Ultimate Guide to Studying abroad in Granada, Spain

Study Abroad Packing tips and Packing List

How Studying Abroad will Change Your Life

How to be a Boss at Study Abroad Weekend Trips

The Best 5 Weekend Trips to take while Studying Abroad

Where did you study abroad? Have anything to add? Let me know in the comments below!

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