This time last year I was preparing for my upcoming semester abroad. I had gotten my class schedule, booked my flight, and was gathering all the materials to apply for my student visa. Lately I've been hearing about all the places my fellow students are planning to go and I am extremely jealous; my time abroad has come and gone, and I would give anything to go back. Studying abroad has been one of the best decisions I've ever made, and for those lucky folks that will be making the trek overseas this coming year, I wish you the best of luck and can't wait to hear about all the fun you have. But before you go, let me impart some of my wisdom, clarify a few things, and debunk some common myths about studying abroad.

1. You'll instantly fall in love with wherever you are going.

Truth be told it will probably take a few weeks before you are sure you made the right decision, but don't fret you'll still have a blast while you're figuring that out. Don't worry though if you feel like you aren't loving the experience as much as everyone else, you'll get there with time.

2. You'll never be homesick.

Let me clarify, just because you'll be having the time of your life doesn't mean you won't occasionally miss home. Chances are there will be lots of things you'll miss, because adjusting to a new culture can be tough. You won't have all the comforts you might be used to (believe it or not some countries still don't have Netflix), and the time difference makes it hard to get in touch with friends and family sometimes, but being homesick is normal and nothing to be concerned about.

3. You'll get super close with the locals.

Now this does depend on where you're going, and there are certainly exceptions, but in my experience chances are you'll only actually get to know a few people from the country you are visiting. You will however get to know the people in your program extremely well. Nothing bonds a group quicker than navigating a new city and I was blessed to meet some truly amazing people abroad (I'm looking at you Florence Fall 2015 squad).

4. Planning weekend trips will be a piece of cake.

Obviously you want to make the most of your time abroad and go as many awesome places as possible, but that can be difficult at times. Between coordinating with friends, financing your trips (I had to work two jobs the summer before I went to pull it off), and finding airfare and places to stay, the planning process can be difficult. My advice? Pick a travel buddy and create of list of your "wish list" places, then sit down and discuss which ones are your priorities. Once you know where your going, utilize websites that compare travel costs to make the planning process easier. Using this method I was able to visit nine countries and dozens of cities while abroad.

5. You'll see the whole city before you go home.

While you are able to get to almost everything you want to do while abroad, there are so many worthwhile things in each place it's impossible to do everything. The great thing about that though is that there is always something new to explore wherever you are. Just don't burn yourself out by trying to see everything in a short amount of time. Remember, anything you missed gives you an excuse to come back and visit again later in life.

6. You don't have to go to school.

It is study abroad after all. The good news is that most professors are aware that you are there to travel and explore, and assign workloads accordingly. Classes definitely are a bit easier than we are used to at home, but that doesn't mean you can slack off, you are there first and foremost to go to school.

7. It will be the best experience of your college career.

Oh wait -- this one's true.

Studying abroad has been the most incredible experience of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything.