Many people enter college wanting to study abroad, but not as many actually follow through with the idea. It’s easy to convince yourself out of the idea if you’re on the fence about it. There’s money to consider, classes to be chosen, and the possibility of missing out on moments with friends and campus life. But in the end, I can tell you that the amount of growth and discovery study abroad will bring to your life far outweighs any of the costs of leaving.
I was nervous about my decision to go abroad for a semester, especially because I’d only just joined my sorority. I was sure I was going to miss out, to lose the connections I had been trying so hard to create. There was also the fact that I had chosen to take classes abroad that would satisfy my minor, but none for my major, and I wondered whether it was worth it to take that much time off from my major classes.
There was also the terrifying idea of going somewhere I’d never been, with people I’d never met, in a country that’s first language wasn’t the same as mine. All I could think in the time remaining before it was time for me to leave, was that I’d made a mistake, that study abroad was overrated, that I should have just stayed at CNU.
But if I had stayed, I would have missed out on one of the best experiences of my life. I would have missed out on maturing as a person, missed out on learning so much more about myself.
CNU is still going to be here when you return. This could be the only opportunity you get to travel to Europe with very few obligations to keep you from seeing as many places as you could possibly see.
Your friends will still be here, and they won’t forget you while you’re gone. But, you’re going to meet so many amazing people during your time abroad, people you would have missed out having in your life if you’d chosen to let all of your small fears build and hold you back from this amazing experience.
I was able to see so many different countries, meet such interesting people, and experience things I’d only had the pleasure of reading about in books before. The various cultures I was exposed to, the different ways of life, helped broaden my outlook on the world. It helped teach me more about myself and the situations I can handle, that I could survive traveling around a foreign country.
This is the opportunity of a lifetime. You’re going to remember study abroad for the rest of your life and the memories you made. And in the end, it all adds in to the amazing college experience you’ll have had by the time you leave CNU.
So take that next step. Don’t let all of your worries stop you; you’ll always wonder if you don’t go. Sign up to study abroad, get on that plane, and go make some memories.