When I walked into a study abroad fair at my school, I had not given much thought to the idea of studying abroad. My summer job led me to cancel a summer trip to Italy, and that led me to the organized chaos of the annual study abroad fair, where a friend introduced me to a graduate assistant.
"Where are you thinking of going?" she asked me.
"Probably Europe, or Australia," I responded. I had no clue what I wanted to do. Earlier that week, I met with a professor to discuss the possibility of studying politics in Washington, D.C. for a semester. But a week later, I was in the study abroad graduate assistant's office talking about universities in Italy, Ireland, Sweden and Australia.
Eventually, I decided on the Italy program. And that's where the madness began.
First, I had to tell my best friend. Since we spent most of our free time together, I wasn't sure how she would handle the news. But eventually, I finally found a way to tell her when we were scheduling classes for the fall.
"Let's take a Monday/Wednesday class together," she texted.
My mind was in a whirlwind, and in response, I said, "I have to tell you something important."
That led her to think I was transferring schools, which was not my intention, but that made it easier to tell her I'd only be gone for a semester and not for the rest of college.
Telling your friends you're leaving for five months is difficult, but ultimately, it is important to make sure they know you are doing this to grow as a person. Personally, I needed a change of scenery. Working three jobs at my school was getting overwhelming. I felt like everything I was doing was making other people happy but I wasn't doing anything good for my own health. I knew I needed to make a change and take care of myself, and stumbling upon the study abroad fair was my "aha moment."
Next, I had to start the paperwork. Letters of recommendation, health forms, essays, and eventually, applying for a student visa — it can get overwhelming, so for anyone who is studying abroad, I highly suggest that you make a checklist and take the deadlines seriously.
In the midst of figuring out all the logistics, I think it is also important to do as much research on the culture of the country you're studying in. I plan on learning more of the Italian language while living in Rome, so to get a head start I've been practicing vocabulary in my spare time and reading Italian news sites. When I read news in Italian, I try to see how much I can understand before translating the page into English. I'm not saying Google Translate is the best interpreter when it comes to translating a page in a foreign language, but it's enough to give you a sense of what is going on.
I'm not even close to leaving the U.S. yet but the planning process is already getting intense. If you're going through the same thing, keep this in mind: in the end it's all worth it. If you stay focused on the future and making it off that airplane, the planning becomes a little less stressful. Be proud of yourself for taking advantage of the once in a lifetime opportunity to take courses in another nation, and think of all the future memories you have to look forward to. Safe travels!
