This upcoming spring, I am studying abroad with an external program in Spain. I have never traveled to Europe or done any sort of program like this. Even though I am organized and prepared deadline-wise for my program, I still find myself running through a mental checklist of what I need to bring from basics like clothing and my skincare products to the types of plugs that work in Spain’s outlets.Â
But something that keeps slipping my mind while I ponder about what I need to pack is: am I truly ready to go?Â
I feel like despite how ready I physically feel, there is always going to be a sliver of my brain that feels like my mental state is not equipped right now to live and study in a brand new country for a semester. Here are some things I have repeated to myself to prepare my mind for this experience.Â
- It’s okay to have doubts. It’s okay to not know exactly what the experience will look like. Despite looking at countless photos, blogs, and tours of the place I could be staying, I still feel weary of adjusting to a new place. For my program, I do not receive my living arrangement until three weeks or so prior to my arrival. I am also going totally alone- another factor that makes me anxious about the experience. I reassure myself by telling myself that it is not like I am going to be the only student on this journey, and so many others will be in the same boat! Traveling alone is also something I have been wanting to do for so many years, so I keep that in mind too. Â
- It is going to be scary and confusing for the first month or so. Most people I have spoken to who have participated in a study abroad program have said that the beginning of their trip was uncomfortable at times. It can range from big things like finding friends to hang out and explore with to the things you don’t think about as much, like finding out where to do laundry. There will most likely be tons of uncertainties. This is both normal and expected, and I repeat this to myself when I start to panic about gathering my bearings when I first touch down in Spain.Â
- Time will go on, and this can be applied to both time spent abroad and time here in Philadelphia. I find myself having trouble comprehending the idea that everyone and everything at home will remain the same and keep on with their everyday lives while I am away. It is not like I am going away for a year, just a semester. When I get back, my apartment will still be here, my cats, my roommates, and my bed. This is something I like to think about when mentally preparing for my trip because it helps me to realize that my semester abroad will come and go, so I should really soak up everything I can when I am there. Â
- Don’t get too caught up in it all. Thousands of American college students spend a semester abroad every year. I often feel myself slipping into the mindset that my experience is going to be ultra confusing and foreign to me, but then I remember that students have done this before me, will be there with me, and will continue to do it after me. I am not going to Spain and being dropped there with no plan (despite what my brain tries to convince me…), and there are going to be so many students in my position.
Overall, it is so important to have your own back in this experience and to give yourself the mental support needed before a big trip. I know studying abroad can be an amazing experience- I just have to let it!