Things You Don’t Expect When You Study Abroad

Studying abroad was one of the craziest things I have ever done, yet it was also one of the most rewarding. I learned so much and, despite any pitfalls I had along the way, I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to do it. 

I had SOOOO many questions before I left, and while I was in contact with a few people who had done the Amsterdam exchange before me, it was still impossible to find someone who had the answer to every single question; there are some that  I didn’t even think to ask until I had arrived.

Since I have chronicled all of my weekend trips, I want to write about all of the tips and tricks and advice that I have for people who are studying abroad, living abroad, or even just traveling. I hope that my experiences studying abroad can help others who are preparing for this journey, and I hope I can answer some of the anxious questions that I had this time last year! 

For this post, I wanted to focus on a few random things that I never really expected before I left. Some I probably should have…

• Studying abroad is really hard. Really, really hard. You go in thinking that you will spend a whole semester traveling and making all of your friends and Instagram followers mad with jealousy. But when you arrive, you still have to attend class (you really have to!). University systems are insanely different depending on the county, and the Dutch system was nothing like what I was used to. I still feel like I don’t know even a fraction of how their schooling works, or even how the university was set up- the buildings are spread across the city, while I was used a small, walkable campus with everything located in one spot. Be prepared for something wildly different.
• Even if you don’t have a language barrier in your country, things will get weird. I am pretty fluent in French, but my school did not offer an exchange with a French school and I did not want to go through a separate program, so Amsterdam it was. While I was lucky that pretty much everyone in the Netherlands speaks near-flawless English, it was still awkward when sales people would mistake me for a local (is this really a bad thing??) and I would have to apologize for not understanding Dutch. They were always perfectly happy to switch to English, and many were even excited. Even if you are studying in the UK or Ireland, where they speak English, things are different. Words, phrases, and nuances have very different meanings across the globe. 
• Everyday tasks become different. I live in the dorms at Hofstra, like most people, so I was not used to having an actual kitchen in my apartment, let alone cooking or buying actual groceries. Sure, I know how to read instructions and make a few basic things, but it is very strange to swap your weekly Target run in your car for a quick bike ride down to the local Albert Heijn (which thankfully was at the end of our block). I did end up loving the convenience of this- one I realized we were out of milk, and by the time I had walked to the store, bought milk, and walked back, my coffee was ready. But other things like finding administrative offices at school, banking, grocery shopping, etc. all become very different.
• It is just like first semester of freshman year. Studying abroad is basically the same as your freshman year. Everyone is super eager to get to know each other and make new friends at first, you end up drifting, half the people you met at orientation will never be seen again, and the first person to get sick infects everyone. But that also makes it fun- remember how your first semester of college was such a blast? It’s like that, but in Europe. 
• It will not be perfect. You might hate it. You will be homesick, no matter what (I thought it would be fine because I had already left home to attend college almost 2,000 miles away. Nope, you will still be homesick). You will miss your parents, your friends, your significant other. You will miss the routine that you have at school, you will miss all of your extracurricular activities. You may not travel as much as you had hoped, you may not make that many friends, you may not love the people you are meeting. You will probably hate school. Things will happen that will make you cry, scream, and want to go home. But then, a few days later, you will find yourself standing on the western cliffs of Ireland, or sea kayaking in Greece, or riding a camel in Morocco, or standing in front of the Eiffel Tower with the person that you love the most. All those stunning Instagrams and perfect blog posts? Yes, those wonderful things did happen. But for every beautiful photo there are two or three nights of crying, frustration, and homesickness.
• It is going to be amazing. I hope I didn’t scare anyone with that last point! Yeah, studying abroad sucks sometimes. But, despite all the hard times, you will love it. You will do some crazy things, have insane nights and days, do things you never would have done before, see and experience things that you never would have without spending time abroad. And when you get home, and you have unpacked your suitcase, sorted through your souvenirs, and organized your thousands of photos, you will realize that there was no way to make those memories without doing what you just accomplished. You will never be happier than when you shower in your own shower and snuggle up into your own bed, but eventually, whether it is next week or next year, you will miss it.

I hope to do many more posts like this, let me know if you have any specific study abroad questions! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!