As Junior year seems to be quickly approaching, there has been a lot of talk among my friends about studying abroad. I seem to be one of few who has mixed feelings. On one hand, I love to travel. I want to push myself out of my comfort zone and take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. Studying abroad is a rare chance, and for many, it only comes once in a lifetime. When else am I going to be able to fully immerse myself in the country of my choice? And at virtually no added cost? Part of me feels like I will regret not going a lot more than I would regret going. After all, it's only four months...
On the other hand, the thought of packing my bags in August, saying goodbye to my whole family, getting on a flight to the other end of the world, and not coming back until December does not sound very appealing to me. Don't get me wrong--I love to travel. However, I can't help but think of the fact that I am always ready to go home after a 10-day vacation--let alone 4 months. A lot of "what ifs" flash through my mind when someone mentions studying abroad. What if I want to go home? What if I get there and it's terrible? What if my roommate and I can't get along? Then I will just be stuck with them on the other side of the ocean? And what if I need to go home for whatever reason? Do I just lose all of the money for the semester and have to retake all of the classes?
I know there are other students out there who feel the same way as me. I'm writing this to tell you that you're not alone--a lot of us have fears about these types of things. It's normal that we do. We're only human. I think that while some of us are meant to study abroad (and just need a little push), others are not meant to study abroad. Not everything is for everyone. I would compare studying abroad to going away to college. Some students just don't see the appeal of paying thousands of dollars to share a dorm room with a stranger--and although I chose this path, I can certainly understand why someone else wouldn't. I haven't made up my mind about studying abroad yet, but I hope that if I decide it's not for me, my peers would be understanding.
