Grow up and become independent: Nothing makes you grow up faster than being in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and you have to learn how to navigate the city, order food, etc. When you’re abroad you’ll be traveling too, and let me go ahead and tell you – you will have travel issues. You will miss flights, you are going to get lost in a foreign city, and dumb things that you never think could happen will. But the good thing is, all of this is going to make you grow up and it will be quick. By the time you come back home you’ll feel like you can handle any situation and do it without the help of anyone else.
You meet people from all over: While I was studying in France and traveling throughout Europe, I met hundreds of people from over 20 countries. There are many people I still talk to and consider good friends of mine. Not only are you going to make lifetime friends when abroad, but you’re going to learn a lot about other societies and their viewpoints on different topics when you talk to them.
See and do things you never imagined: When I was in Europe, I saw 10 different countries in my 3 months, including one in Africa. I got to ride a camel, hike mountains over 10000 feet, experience the world cup in the winning country, see some of the most historic architecture in the world and see more places than most people will in their lifetime. My favorite moment from the summer was when I was staying in Positano, Italy. My last night there, everyone I met at the hostel and I went out to the club right next to the Mediterranean Sea and stayed until it closed down. Instead of going back up to our place, we decided to swim in the freezing cold sea while watching the sunrise at 5am. We later had to walk up the entire hillside and over 800 steps, while it was raining, to get back to our hostel, but it was totally worth the views.
Have fun: The most obvious reason to study abroad is to learn A LOT right? But who says you can’t have some fun while you’re at it? Every single day is a completely new experience and you’ll always have fun. My time abroad was the best time of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Of course, it can be different for some people, but if you go in with the mindset of trying new things and wanting to have fun, you’ll have a blast.
