10 Things I Learned Studying Abroad
Hi! I’ve spent a lot of time the past few weeks reflecting on my study abroad experience. Now that that part of my life is closed and the start of a new year has begun, I wanted to share a few things I learned while abroad. Hopefully you can relate to them as well if…
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Hi! I’ve spent a lot
of time the past few weeks reflecting on my study abroad experience. Now that
that part of my life is closed and the start of a new year has begun, I wanted
to share a few things I learned while abroad. Hopefully you can relate to them
as well if you also studied abroad, or they can be of some guidance to those
who are planning on diving into a crazy, life-changing adventure as well!
of time the past few weeks reflecting on my study abroad experience. Now that
that part of my life is closed and the start of a new year has begun, I wanted
to share a few things I learned while abroad. Hopefully you can relate to them
as well if you also studied abroad, or they can be of some guidance to those
who are planning on diving into a crazy, life-changing adventure as well!
1. Go
Early and Orient Yourself
Early and Orient Yourself
I went to Prague
about two weeks before my orientation program/classes started and I was so
thankful that I did. I did this with the two girlfriends I lived with and we
could not have had any more fun during those first two weeks! Going so early
allowed us to get all settled into our apartment (hello 6 hours in IKEA),
explore our neighborhood and some of the major sights in the city, take a few
organized city tours, and go out to eat and enjoy each other’s company before
the hustle and bustle of traveling and classes started! By the time our
official orientation program rolled around, we were already very much
accustomed to the new time zone, knew how to get around with relative ease, and were all settled and focused on
meeting people and starting school. If you have the time to go to your abroad
city before your program technically starts, definitely don’t say no to that
opportunity! (If you are going to Prague email me and I’ll set you up with the
orientation manual my girlfriends and I made—it’s all you need– ha! ).
about two weeks before my orientation program/classes started and I was so
thankful that I did. I did this with the two girlfriends I lived with and we
could not have had any more fun during those first two weeks! Going so early
allowed us to get all settled into our apartment (hello 6 hours in IKEA),
explore our neighborhood and some of the major sights in the city, take a few
organized city tours, and go out to eat and enjoy each other’s company before
the hustle and bustle of traveling and classes started! By the time our
official orientation program rolled around, we were already very much
accustomed to the new time zone, knew how to get around with relative ease, and were all settled and focused on
meeting people and starting school. If you have the time to go to your abroad
city before your program technically starts, definitely don’t say no to that
opportunity! (If you are going to Prague email me and I’ll set you up with the
orientation manual my girlfriends and I made—it’s all you need– ha! ).
2. Select
Your Housing Wisely (get a king sized bed)
Your Housing Wisely (get a king sized bed)
I was fortunate
enough to be given the choice to either go to Prague without knowing where I
was going to live (and my orientation program would set me up with housing) or
to choose my housing on my own beforehand. My girlfriends and I decided that we
wanted to pick out our apartment online and seal the deal before we even got to
Prague. This is definitely a decision to make based on your circumstances and
preferences, but we knew that we wanted an apartment in a specific area of
Prague (Old Town!) and we didn’t want to worry about securing one when we got
there, so we set it all up beforehand! The apartment we chose was very
comfortable, clean, and spacious (we each had our own bedrooms) and therefore
it was the perfect oasis to come back to after a long weekend trip. There’s
definitely something to be said about having a nice apartment where you can
feel safe and comfortable—especially when we were out of our comfort zone so
often. FYI, I actually didn’t like the king sized bed—I never saw like 10 whole
feet of my bed the whole semester!
enough to be given the choice to either go to Prague without knowing where I
was going to live (and my orientation program would set me up with housing) or
to choose my housing on my own beforehand. My girlfriends and I decided that we
wanted to pick out our apartment online and seal the deal before we even got to
Prague. This is definitely a decision to make based on your circumstances and
preferences, but we knew that we wanted an apartment in a specific area of
Prague (Old Town!) and we didn’t want to worry about securing one when we got
there, so we set it all up beforehand! The apartment we chose was very
comfortable, clean, and spacious (we each had our own bedrooms) and therefore
it was the perfect oasis to come back to after a long weekend trip. There’s
definitely something to be said about having a nice apartment where you can
feel safe and comfortable—especially when we were out of our comfort zone so
often. FYI, I actually didn’t like the king sized bed—I never saw like 10 whole
feet of my bed the whole semester!
3. Stock
Up on Lysol Wipes & Cute Sanitizer
Up on Lysol Wipes & Cute Sanitizer
I never considered
myself a germ freak and now I realize that I’m going to sound like a grandma
talking about this ha. I’ve always carried santizer because it smells good
(Bath and Body Works), but I’ve never really utilized it fully. Until I went
abroad. There is something about metro handles, cab doors, and public restrooms
that really got to me! I would always see swarms of people and weirdly wonder
about their hand washing habits (I had a lot of time on my hands.. no pun
intended). So I started actually using my cute sanitizer bottles and carried around
disinfecting wipes in my tote. You don’t know how much those came in handy—especially
if you are a major coffee spiller (ehem)! I would wipe down airplane tray
tables before I put my head wrest on them… okay, I definitely took it too far.
BUT, I am pleased to say that I never got sick! Not even a cold. There is
nothing worse than being sick and away from home, so the takeaway here is that
Lysol lemon scented disinfecting wipes are the new it accessory.
myself a germ freak and now I realize that I’m going to sound like a grandma
talking about this ha. I’ve always carried santizer because it smells good
(Bath and Body Works), but I’ve never really utilized it fully. Until I went
abroad. There is something about metro handles, cab doors, and public restrooms
that really got to me! I would always see swarms of people and weirdly wonder
about their hand washing habits (I had a lot of time on my hands.. no pun
intended). So I started actually using my cute sanitizer bottles and carried around
disinfecting wipes in my tote. You don’t know how much those came in handy—especially
if you are a major coffee spiller (ehem)! I would wipe down airplane tray
tables before I put my head wrest on them… okay, I definitely took it too far.
BUT, I am pleased to say that I never got sick! Not even a cold. There is
nothing worse than being sick and away from home, so the takeaway here is that
Lysol lemon scented disinfecting wipes are the new it accessory.
4. Public
Transportation Doesn’t Suck (or does it?)
Transportation Doesn’t Suck (or does it?)
Okay, that’s a
half-truth. I went into my abroad experience feeling weary about public
transportation and it still hasn’t completely
won me over considering how many times I tried to decipher a metro map. But I
think it’s safe to say that it doesn’t suck.
Of course it depends on the city—I thought Paris’ metro system was a bit
confusing, Barcelona’s was very nicely maintained (besides the pick pocketers),
and Prague’s was very easy to navigate. The hard truth is that public
transportation is the cheapest way to get around, and I received a free metro
pass from my school, so the metro and tram it was. I did Uber a bit at night or
when I was in other cities and was on a tight sightseeing schedule, but I would
definitely say that walking was my favorite way to get around!
half-truth. I went into my abroad experience feeling weary about public
transportation and it still hasn’t completely
won me over considering how many times I tried to decipher a metro map. But I
think it’s safe to say that it doesn’t suck.
Of course it depends on the city—I thought Paris’ metro system was a bit
confusing, Barcelona’s was very nicely maintained (besides the pick pocketers),
and Prague’s was very easy to navigate. The hard truth is that public
transportation is the cheapest way to get around, and I received a free metro
pass from my school, so the metro and tram it was. I did Uber a bit at night or
when I was in other cities and was on a tight sightseeing schedule, but I would
definitely say that walking was my favorite way to get around!
5. Plan
in Advance (hi Trip Advisor)
in Advance (hi Trip Advisor)
I loved having an
itinerary for all of my weekend trips. Usually the Wednesday before the trip I
would take to the internet and Trip Advisor my heart out. I loved figuring out
the top sights and restaurants and then seeing it all on Google Maps to plan an
itinerary. Research was definitely the name of the game. My boyfriend found
that the most overlooked detail in a weekend trips he went on was how to get from the
airport to wherever you were staying. Oftentimes cabs from the airport were 60
Euro+, so figuring out the aerobus system beforehand was an understated huge
help!
itinerary for all of my weekend trips. Usually the Wednesday before the trip I
would take to the internet and Trip Advisor my heart out. I loved figuring out
the top sights and restaurants and then seeing it all on Google Maps to plan an
itinerary. Research was definitely the name of the game. My boyfriend found
that the most overlooked detail in a weekend trips he went on was how to get from the
airport to wherever you were staying. Oftentimes cabs from the airport were 60
Euro+, so figuring out the aerobus system beforehand was an understated huge
help!
6. Respect the
Culture and Take it All In
Culture and Take it All In
There were so many
times when I saw something and just wanted to stop and stare. Okay, more like
gawk. I definitely did a lot of picture taking (I took a photojournalism class,
after all..). I was in awe with so many of the customs and little cultural nuances
that I came across through my travels. It’s definitely humbling to learn that
not everywhere is like New Jersey… ha. For instance, it is not customary for
Czech people to smile, or even grin, at each other when they walk past you.
Keep in mind that I’m used to smiling big and stopping to chat with basically
everyone I see on campus when I’m at school…
times when I saw something and just wanted to stop and stare. Okay, more like
gawk. I definitely did a lot of picture taking (I took a photojournalism class,
after all..). I was in awe with so many of the customs and little cultural nuances
that I came across through my travels. It’s definitely humbling to learn that
not everywhere is like New Jersey… ha. For instance, it is not customary for
Czech people to smile, or even grin, at each other when they walk past you.
Keep in mind that I’m used to smiling big and stopping to chat with basically
everyone I see on campus when I’m at school…
7. Go With the Flow But
Know Your Limits
Know Your Limits
I honestly shouldn’t
even be offering advice on this point because this was definitely the hardest
adjustment for me. BUT, I did learn a lot about from this aspect of abroad.
There are so many times when I felt scared and uncertain of myself. I swear I
was lost more often that not—which tends to happen when you’re severely
directionally challenged and there is literally an old church on EVERY CORNER of Europe.
To be completely honest, my first week of Prague I slept in bed with my
roommates/best friends because I was so freaked out about being in a new city
in my own room alone! (I’m 21 going on five). Everything takes more effort when you are in an unfamiliar place and don’t speak the language or
know the cultural cues, and I wasn’t always pleased with how I dealt with each
circumstance. There were times when I was met with a challenge and broke down
in tears on the side of the road (literally). BUT, there were also times when I
surprised myself with how I stayed calm, remained optimistic, and figured
things out when plans went askew. The takeaway is that ultimately I realized that everyone
has their own limits, and it’s important to respect your personal limits while also pushing yourself to do more and to grow from your experiences. Also, I prayed a lot—which
made all the difference.
even be offering advice on this point because this was definitely the hardest
adjustment for me. BUT, I did learn a lot about from this aspect of abroad.
There are so many times when I felt scared and uncertain of myself. I swear I
was lost more often that not—which tends to happen when you’re severely
directionally challenged and there is literally an old church on EVERY CORNER of Europe.
To be completely honest, my first week of Prague I slept in bed with my
roommates/best friends because I was so freaked out about being in a new city
in my own room alone! (I’m 21 going on five). Everything takes more effort when you are in an unfamiliar place and don’t speak the language or
know the cultural cues, and I wasn’t always pleased with how I dealt with each
circumstance. There were times when I was met with a challenge and broke down
in tears on the side of the road (literally). BUT, there were also times when I
surprised myself with how I stayed calm, remained optimistic, and figured
things out when plans went askew. The takeaway is that ultimately I realized that everyone
has their own limits, and it’s important to respect your personal limits while also pushing yourself to do more and to grow from your experiences. Also, I prayed a lot—which
made all the difference.
8. Splurge on the
Good Things
Good Things
My big splurges
studying abroad happened to be experiences (okay, okay, there was one bag). I splurged on a private
tour of Vatican City and the helicopter ride in the Swiss Alps. Those just
happened to be two experiences that I valued really highly and I knew I would
regret not doing them. I really thought about those splurges and talked them
over with the people I was doing them with beforehand, and looking back they
were both great decisions because they were so full of culture and adventure.
There may or may not have been a leather bucket bag purchase, too. 🙂 In my
opinion it’s much better to spend all you’ve got abroad and go back to school
the next semester broke but rich with stories. Anyways, I’m planning of living
off of my Little this semester… (kidding E!!).
studying abroad happened to be experiences (okay, okay, there was one bag). I splurged on a private
tour of Vatican City and the helicopter ride in the Swiss Alps. Those just
happened to be two experiences that I valued really highly and I knew I would
regret not doing them. I really thought about those splurges and talked them
over with the people I was doing them with beforehand, and looking back they
were both great decisions because they were so full of culture and adventure.
There may or may not have been a leather bucket bag purchase, too. 🙂 In my
opinion it’s much better to spend all you’ve got abroad and go back to school
the next semester broke but rich with stories. Anyways, I’m planning of living
off of my Little this semester… (kidding E!!).
9. Do Abnormal
Activities
Activities
Honestly all of
abroad is an abnormal crazy adventure, but still make sure that you plan a few
things that are over-the-top crazy. Like say, buy tickets to a night time
“sparty” (spa party) in the Budapest thermal baths… or charter a helicopter to
the highest point in Europe… or spend Halloween weekend in Barcelona… or road
trip through the Romantic Road in Germany… or take an overnight train by yourself
to Interlaken… or go on the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg (it was crazy,
trust me). On the surface, all of these ideas raise a lot of logistical
questions that can lead to lots of skepticism. BUT, straight up ignore all of
that and just go. Book the plane. Buy the tickets. Pack your bag. Embrace the
whimsy and trust that oftentimes the most out-there, bizarre, over-the-top
trips will be the very best days of your abroad experience (and life).
abroad is an abnormal crazy adventure, but still make sure that you plan a few
things that are over-the-top crazy. Like say, buy tickets to a night time
“sparty” (spa party) in the Budapest thermal baths… or charter a helicopter to
the highest point in Europe… or spend Halloween weekend in Barcelona… or road
trip through the Romantic Road in Germany… or take an overnight train by yourself
to Interlaken… or go on the Sound of Music tour in Salzburg (it was crazy,
trust me). On the surface, all of these ideas raise a lot of logistical
questions that can lead to lots of skepticism. BUT, straight up ignore all of
that and just go. Book the plane. Buy the tickets. Pack your bag. Embrace the
whimsy and trust that oftentimes the most out-there, bizarre, over-the-top
trips will be the very best days of your abroad experience (and life).
10. Wander Around By
Yourself & Find a Fancy Café
Yourself & Find a Fancy Café
On the contrary, my
other favorite days of abroad involved just wondering around Prague by myself
and sitting in my favorite café (the Paris Café—get the rosé & olives),
doing leisurely work, and taking it all in. There are few times in life where
you can have this uninterrupted alone time, which I believe is good for the
soul. Try to resist the local Starbucks (I only went twice, promise!!), and check
off something on your bucket list in the city or just set up at a fancy café
and order coffee or wine that you probably can’t afford—words to live by.
other favorite days of abroad involved just wondering around Prague by myself
and sitting in my favorite café (the Paris Café—get the rosé & olives),
doing leisurely work, and taking it all in. There are few times in life where
you can have this uninterrupted alone time, which I believe is good for the
soul. Try to resist the local Starbucks (I only went twice, promise!!), and check
off something on your bucket list in the city or just set up at a fancy café
and order coffee or wine that you probably can’t afford—words to live by.
Be sure to share this
post with anyone you know who studied abroad or is planning on doing so! The
advice I got from other girls before I went abroad tremendously impacted my
experience for the better.
post with anyone you know who studied abroad or is planning on doing so! The
advice I got from other girls before I went abroad tremendously impacted my
experience for the better.
p.s. 11. If you’re planning on studying abroad or
are an avid traveler, you need this sweatshirt to wear on your trips. You just
do. (so lightweight and soft!!)
are an avid traveler, you need this sweatshirt to wear on your trips. You just
do. (so lightweight and soft!!)
Shop my abroad
necessities:
necessities:
xxAmy
