Studying abroad is one of the best experiences you will ever have in college, and it is certainly an experience that everyone should take advantage of. With that being said, there are always things about SLU that you will miss while you’re having the time of your life across the pond.
The 5-minute walk to class
Depending on which study abroad program you choose, there’s a good chance that you’ll have to commute to school (by bus or cab). And it definitely takes longer than the 5-10 minute walk across campus to class that you’re used to.
Meal Plan
At school it’s easy to eat when you have a meal plan; the pub and Dana are always within reach. When abroad, you constantly have to eat out or buy food at the grocery stores.
Your friends
Most of us are not fortunate enough to have all of our friends studying abroad at the same time or on the same program. So… a lot of the time, you REALLY miss them.
The gym
Ah the gym. You’ll never know how much you’ll miss the SLU gym until you’re abroad. Suddenly, you’ll find yourself out of shape without easy access to a gym filled with readily available treadmills and bikes.
The beautiful campus
When you see everyone from SLU posting pictures of the beautiful fall leaves on campus or the snow covered buildings, you start to miss it even more.
Athletic events
Whether it be soccer, football, hockey, squash, or lacrosse, you’ll miss the environment of an athletic event and all the friends and fans that go along with it.
Sergis
I mean PIZZA… need I say more? You know you’re going to miss drunkenly ordering Sergis at 3 am. The thing you won’t miss? Having to redial a million times because everyone else on campus is drunk dialing them too.
The Ticker/The Hoot
You may be living it up at clubs while you’re abroad, but sometimes you just want to dance with your friends in a dark, dirty establishment and make a few mistakes that you won’t remember in the morning. As for The Hoot, you might only be missing it if you’re 21, but it’s still a pretty awesome place to get a drink and socialize with friends.
Dana brunch
All you can eat breakfast when you’ve got a hangover from the night before? Yes please. Plus it’s the only option on campus on Sundays if you wake up before 2 pm.
So, whether you’ve already studied abroad or you are currently abroad, you might be missing a few of these things right now, especially your friends. If you’re planning on going abroad soon then enjoy everything that SLU has to offer because as the saying goes, you don’t always realize what you have until it’s gone.