Studying Abroad: Key Takeaways

Studying abroad is one of those life experiences that’s only as dangerous as you let it be. That’s not to say there’s no unavoidable dangers, of course, but rather that there are a lot of preparations you can make to minimize the danger and uncertainty that you’re facing. For me, preparing like this was a priority for both me and my family. That was the first indication that I was doing the best for myself when it came to this experience.

I prepared everything I could. I made paper copies of my important documents. I kept my cash in different pockets of my bags. And I arranged for extra belongings to be shipped home so I didn’t have to keep track of them going through customs.

But even so, I learned lessons about my lifestyle preferences. 

Studying abroad had been a dream of mine since I was a senior in high school. I thought I had this incredible wanderlust, a desire to see the world or live somewhere else for a few years. And as it turns out, this is half-true. I love the feeling of travel, but the feeling of being too far away from my family for too long, isn’t quite enjoyable. I learned that I’d be perfectly willing to travel for work, but I’d always want my permanent residence to be in the United States.

The people I met on this adventure were the most important part of it for me. To make friends for a lifetime from facing challenges together, and sharing tender moments… That wasn’t something I was searching for, but it was something I found anyway.

The way that studying abroad developed me as a person is difficult to quite put into words, but I could best describe it as becoming more aware of how I fit into both professional and personal environments. I learned that I enjoy, and naturally gravitate toward, people who I can learn from as well as people who can learn from me, which I believe can be separate people, or the same person, depending on their personality and attitude. I found that I tended to be a mentor for others on this trip in terms of emotional maturity and navigating tense, uncharted emotional waters. What’s more, I had extremely valuable moments where I learned by watching and listening to others.

I believe studying abroad is as developmental as you allow it to be, just as it is as risky or dangerous as you allow it to be. Being in a foreign environment and making yourself a network, and a habitat, can truly show you what you’re capable of learning and achieving as the person you currently are.