A Letter to Those Thinking About Studying Abroad

For those who are thinking about going abroad,

Do it.

Living in another country for months on end is one of the most interesting experiences you may have during your lifetime. When else are you going to live in a foreign country for four months?

I’ve had a lot of people come up with reasons not to go abroad and here is my advice to them.

For the person who says that they can’t because of their major. You can still go abroad. I’ve met people who are bio majors, psychology majors, history majors, business majors, and English Education programs. You can still do it. For some majors you just need to plan a little bit ahead of time or take a few summer classes. Try saving core classes for study abroad. Almost all study abroad classes have an art, history, language, etc. Those classes you’ll have to take eventually to graduate so might as well take them abroad. If you really can’t afford to do a semester there are a few summer, winter break, and spring break abroad programs.

Advice: Talk to your advisor.

This photo consists of business majors, science major, psychology major, accounting major, and an English education major. 

For the person who says that they can’t because of their financial status. I’ve met students who received grants for studying abroad. It is possible! If you’re on scholarship now look into if it covers studying abroad. The cost for studying abroad in my program was the same as going to Siena. You just need to buy the plane ticket and weekend travel. Even if you don’t want to travel on the weekends your host family is supposed to provide for you.

Advice: Talk to Brother Brian, financial advisor, and contact your current scholarship program. It is doable!

For the person who says they can’t because their parents said no. Okay, so this one is a really tough one. I lucked out with parents who loved the idea of me experiencing another culture. If I were in your shoes I would list all the beneficial reasons of going abroad. Talk about how you’ll eventually have to figure out the real world one day. That includes booking hotels, figuring out public transportation, and even booking flights. Talk about how it teaches you how to live on your own. Living on your own in a foreign country is a lot different than living in another state. Tell them that you’ll appreciate things more because of this opportunity. I never realized how great we had it in USA until I couldn’t take a long shower and was required to turn off lights immediately after leaving a room.

Advice: Talk to them. Tell them why you want to go abroad. Understand where they’re coming from too. They’re going to miss you and worry about you constantly while you’re abroad. Think about that while you’re talking to them. Your parents want you to succeed; they’re just worried about you being so far away. P.S. Facetime is a thing!

For the person who thinks they’ll miss their boyfriend/girlfriend too much while abroad. You’re going to miss him or her that is a fact. In a weird way going abroad teaches you to appreciate what you have so much more. You’re going to become dependent on WIFI a little too much because every time you have it you’re going to want to talk to him/her. It is hard and it takes a lot of work. i

Advice: Write emails, send messages when you have WIFI, send post cards, write letters. I wrote a few letters and labeled the envelope of certain times he could open it. For example, I had different letters for when for when he saw a dog, after his first day of classes, the last day of nice weather, and the day I come home. 

For the person who thinks the classes are going to be too hard. It’s college. Obviously, the classes are going to be hard. At Siena Italian Studies all the classes are in Italian. I came to the school speaking none whatsoever. It’s a little crazy to think, but it’s a really interesting and unique experience. It’s a really cool experience for Education majors because you’ll know how to work with English Language Learners. If you don’t want all classes in a foreign language then you can always go to London, Australia, even countries like Mexico has classes in English.

Advice: Don’t let that stop you. Classes are going to be hard regardless. It’s better to experience something new than just take easy classes and fly through school.

Studying abroad isn’t for everyone. Some people love the comfort and routine of being home and there is nothing wrong with that. If you are thinking about studying abroad at all I would talk to the study abroad office and explain to them you’re thinking about it but you’re worried about ___. Talking to an advisor doesn’t hurt! It’s a fantastic opportunity and it would be a shame to look back and wish you had went abroad.

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