Almost everyone who has studied abroad will say the same thing: it has changed their lives.
Studying abroad is the unique experience of going to live and study in another country. Some students go for a week, others a semester, and some stay as long as a year. There are study abroad programs in many countries and schools for all different majors. There is a program for everyone looking to study abroad.
Last semester I had the opportunity to study abroad. I went to Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea for my second semester of sophomore year. I was there for almost exactly four months, and from the moment I got there I knew it was the best decision I could have ever made. And I can honestly say that it changed my life for the better.
1. Got me out of my comfort zone
Going to South Korea scared the bejesus out of me. Just the fact that I was leaving the country and not coming back for four months was terrifying, let alone going to live in a country where I did not speak the native language or know much about the culture. I had never left the good ole United States in my nineteen years of existence and had never been on a plane longer than a few hours. Luckily, I had a friend who went with me to South Korea, so I did have a comforting presence with me that helped me face this without fear and anxiety. Now I can honestly say that if I hadn’t had her, I would have been fine, but I am still happy I had a friend to enjoy South Korea with.
As someone who is shy and has some anxiety about talking to new people, I was definitely nervous about making new friends as well. I had finally gotten comfortable with my little group of friends at EIU, and now I had to be uprooted again and go through the same process again. However, the people I met and became friends with made this process so much easier for me. I love all the people I met, and they helped me squelch my fear of new people.
I also thought that the language barrier would be a lot more prevalent while I was there. However, South Korea was surprisingly English-friendly. Subway and bus systems doubled in Korean and English, and some restaurants I went to had an English menu along with the Korean menu (some of the employees knew English as well). While I was faced at times with a non-English speaker and no English menus in sight, I had picked up a few words to be able to communicate enough to get what I wanted. Being there definitely forced me out of my English-speaking comfort zone at times, but I think it was a really good experience to try to communicate with people in different ways, especially since as a foreigner I couldn’t expect anyone to understand English.
Being out of my comfort zone made me a lot stronger. I feel much more confident when faced with situations or tasks that are difficult or new to me.
2. I got to experience a new culture that was different from what I am used to
South Korea is an amazing country. I lived in Seoul, which is the capital city. There are approximately 10 million people living in Seoul, and when you come from a town of 600 residents, it is a big change. So just living in a city was a big change for me. The city itself is very chic and hip. It is split up into different areas, which are all uniquely different from each other. Some of them are high end shopping areas with nice restaurants, like Gangnam, others are more university student oriented with clubs, bars, shopping, and hang out spots, like Hongdae, and some are more of historical, like Jongno where the Hanok Village is located. Exploring Seoul, I got to experience many different aspects of the culture.
I also took trips to two different areas in South Korea – Jeju Island and Busan. Jeju Island I unfortunately went to in March, so it was a bit cold and I couldn’t do all the beach activities on the island, but I did see some amazing things! After being there for a few days, I realized that the culture in Jeju was different from Seoul’s, and it was interesting seeing the difference. It was the same with Busan. Busan is a beach town, and it is heavily focused on the fish market. I have never been to a fish market before, and I thoroughly enjoyed walking through it. (Even though the vegetarian in me was slightly saddened as I watched the live octopus be pulled from a tank and cut up, which by the way is an actual dish in Korea called sannakji where the tentacles are served raw and still moving.)
Throughout my stay in South Korea I learned a lot about their culture, from food to nightlife to manners to their history. It has inspired me to seek out other cultures to experience, and has helped me decide what I want to do for my future career (travel writing).
3. I met amazing people who share my love for travel and adventure
Hands-down one of the best things about studying abroad is finding and befriending people who share a desire for adventure and are curious about the world. While it was a huge concern for me at first, I met people that I genuinely was able to connect to. I still keep in contact with a lot of them.
I met other study abroad students from so many different countries and walks of life. I also met Korean students, both in my classes and from an exchange student club called HUG (Korean students helped exchange students learn about Korea and plan fun activities together).
Like I said before, I have trouble sometimes making new friends. But here it was so easy because everyone was in the same position. We were all so willing to talk and hang out and be friends that nobody was without a friends for long. Study abroad has really opened up my eyes to how talking to new people isn’t scary, it is exciting!
4. I learned what independence really was and that I actually love it
I was parent free in South Korea, nobody to tell me what to do or when to come home. Of course, it also meant I didn’t have anyone to help me figure things out or pay for my meals or other helpful things parents do for their children. I was truly independent of my parents while I was over there (except for the occasional help as they made sure my own money was deposited from my savings account into my debit card account so I had money while in Korea). I was scared of this at first, but it was actually a great growing experience. I loved being independent and making my own decisions, using my own money, and figuring out everything by myself (with the help of study abroad friends of course).
While I was there I also took a very spontaneous, week long trip to Japan (which I planned 2 days before I left because suddenly we had a school holiday and no classes and I couldn't let that opportunity pass). I went by myself, because nobody else was crazy enough to go on a whole trip to a different country with only 2 days notice. After staying up very late booking last minute flights and business hotels while simultaneously talking to my parents on Skype as we tried to figure the whole trip out, I was on my way to Japan.
Because I was on my own, this trip was a real test of how I could take care of myself. And because I wanted to be a travel writer, this trip took on a much more important meaning. I was testing myself to see if I could handle being on my own in a foreign country and have a great time. And I did! It was invigorating being on my own and going wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted, and seeing everything I had been dying to see for years since I first started reading manga in junior high. I came back from that trip a week later and knew I had been changed forever. I felt ready to take on anything the world threw at me, and I still carry this confidence with me.
Studying abroad truly changed my life. I can honestly say that it was the best decision I have ever made in my life. And for anyone thinking of studying abroad, I quote the wise words of Shia Labeouf: JUST DO IT! Even if you are worried about leaving for a long period of time, financial expenses, being out of your comfort zone, or some other reason, just take that first step and talk to your study abroad office staff. My study abroad counselors are amazing and helped find the perfect school for me. I plan on going abroad again before I am finished at EIU because I loved it so much.
Study abroad is an amazing experience and I loved every second of it, and I am positive everyone who goes can come back saying the same exact thing.
Also, if you are interested in my adventures while in South Korea and Japan, I kept up a vlog channel on YouTube while I was there where I filmed different things I did there. You can click on the link below to go to my channel!
