In the fall of 2014 I studied abroad in the beautiful city of London. It changed my life for the better in so many ways I could not even tell you everything it did for me. For those of you about to leave for a study abroad adventure for the next four to six months, I envy you and wish I was joining you. For those of you not studying abroad… What the hell are you doing?! Do you not understand the excitement and fun that comes with studying abroad?

Many schools will tell you the benefits of studying abroad: it’s a great learning experience, you earn college credit, it looks great on a resume, and much more. I could go on and on about all the wonderful reasons to study abroad, but instead I’m going to give you a list of 10 big things that happen to you when you study abroad in Europe.

1. You will be able to travel to other countries for a better price.

When you live in the United States of America, it’s very expensive to fly over to another country whenever you please. However, the beauty of living in a European country is traveling to other countries is remarkably cheaper (Example: A round trip flight from London to Ireland is roughly 79 Euros). Now mind you, flights will not suddenly be dirt-cheap just because you are in Europe (After looking at Expedia, you can expect to pay $572 for a round trip flight from London to Munich for Oktoberfest). But if you are not keen on flying you can get to other countries by other means of transport. There is the Euro Rail, Buses, and Boats. I recommend using cheapflights.com for the best prices on flights.

2. You will pick up on the slang of your study abroad home.

While studying abroad I knew people from England could speak English. But I found that by the time I came to living in London for two months, I had picked up on how the British talked. Example: “I’m gonna take the tube to Piccadilly and queue for the movie premier..." Did I lose you? For those who do not understand British English, I just said “I’m gonna take the subway to Piccadilly and will wait in line for the movie premier.” Whether you study abroad in London, Italy, or Spain, you will find yourself picking up on the slang and terms used in your study abroad home. And you’ll find that you will use some of these slang terms when you return home.

3. You will make friends from around the world.

I studied at Regent’s University of London when I studied abroad. There were so many students from other countries, and other parts of the U.S., that went to Regent’s. You meet other students and form friendships that last you a lifetime. With today’s social media such as Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, it’s even easier to stay in touch with your new friends from abroad.

4. You will deal with Murphy’s Law on more than one occasion.

What is Murphy’s Law? Well it’s pretty simple -- “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” I have had many encounters with Murphy’s Law (flights got canceled, coming down with illness while traveling, being injured while traveling just to list a few of the things that happened to me). Murphy’s Law is really a rule for life, not just traveling and no matter how lucky you may be, I can 100% guarantee you will face Murphy’s Law in some shape or form while you are away. The good news is the more times you encounter a Murphy’s Law situation, the better prepared you will be for handling the unexpected situation.

5. You will miss home.

Whether it’s dealing with culture shock, missing the comfort of home, or being able to talk with your friends and family back home at any time you want, you will, at some point, miss home. And it’s completely okay to feel that way. It’s okay to miss the familiar and comforting things that home provides: That’s why it’s called ‘HOME’. But when dealing with home sickness there are a few things you can try:

• Know that you’re experience abroad is a once in a lifetime opportunity and that you should enjoy and love every minute of the days you are there. Before you know it, it’ll be time for you to come home.
• Your friends will still be there when you get back. You will talk their ears off with all the stories you have from studying abroad and they will be happy to see you when you come home.
• Your family misses you even more than you miss them. Chances are your mom or dad or guardian will keep a calendar counting down the days to when you come home, even if they may not say it out loud. I set up ‘Skype-Dates’ with my mom and dad so that once a week we were able to see each other and talk about how things were going.
• Do fun things with your study abroad friends to distract you from feeling homesick. You can go to a museum, go shopping or go traveling for the weekend and you will have so much fun that you forget that you were ever homesick.

6. You will do at least one thing outside your comfort zone.

While studying abroad you are trying all kinds of new things: new foods, new languages, new countries, that you start to feel a little braver. You realize quickly you start to do things that you probably would never do at home. You may go to an event you never thought you would go to, go on a trip by yourself, or even realize that taking risks is apart of what makes life worth living.

7. You will think about making your study abroad home your forever home.

A small percentage of college students study abroad, but an even smaller percent decide to stay in the country they studied abroad at. I knew a person while abroad who loved London so much she decided to transfer to a school in London and finish her education there. It’s a decision that very few people have the bravery to do. It is one thing to live in a country for a certain period of time and return home, it is another to live there all the time and rarely come home. But if you find that you cannot bear to leave your study abroad home, and you feel your education will benefit from staying in your study abroad home, then I say talk it over with your parents and see what happens.

8. You will find that there is a new freedom that comes from living in another country.

I cannot really explain it, but you feel freer when you live in another country. Maybe it’s the new way of living, maybe it’s finally feeling like you can do things on your own, or maybe it’s the younger drinking age (You can drink legally in Europe at 18 years of age). No matter what it maybe you will feel a new sense of freedom.

9. You will figure out how to budget your money.

Living abroad is fun, but if you live in a big city like London, it can be very expensive. I worked two jobs the summer before I left for London and had saved up Christmas and Birthday money before then. If you are someone like me, then you’ll have some money saved up for traveling (Bus2Alps trips are the best in Europe!) and for spending around your study abroad city. You work out what is best for you and how much money you want to have left over when you return home. Just remember to not go shopping crazy just because everything is in euros and pounds.

10. You will never be the same person as you were before going abroad.

The person you were before studying abroad will no longer exist when you come home. You will be, in every definition, a different person. The time you spend abroad will help shape you to be the person you want to become. So what are you waiting for? Go out and start living, my dear. Life is short and you must take any grand opportunity that is presented to you.