I studied abroad at the University of Cambridge last semester as a sophomore through the INSTEP program. It was by far one of the best choices that I've ever made, and I would encourage any other student with the opportunity to study abroad to do so.
Although it was extremely fun and exciting, there were difficult aspects to the experience. I wanted to describe my experience, the good and the bad, using gifs from popular culture. I hope that other students can relate to this, or be inspired to study abroad.
1. Your family repeatedly warns you not to trust strangers abroad. They inevitably bring up the movie Taken.
2. Right as you're about to leave, you panic and ask your parents if you can still back out. They of course say no, and tell you it will be the time of your life.
3. You quickly become close friends with the other students in your program.
4. You awkwardly attempt to make friends with local people.
5. You put on even more weight than you did during your freshman year of college.
6. You encounter cultural differences that you find interesting or strange.
7. You cry at least once over homesickness.
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8. Your bank account is suffering, but you keep telling yourself that you only study abroad once.
9. You get the chance to see some of the most beautiful places in the world.
10. You come across people who are not too fond of tourists.
11. You find out exactly how bad jet lag can get.
12. You have an international package for your phone that is extremely limited, and it drives you insane.
13. You travel to warm and relaxing destinations.
14. You can't see one thing without wanting to take a picture of it or in front of it.
15. You come across a lot of attractive foreigners.
15. There is at least one instance in which you are tricked into spending too much money, and you feel like a stereotypical tourist.
16. If you are lucky enough to be of age in the country that you are studying in, you take full advantage.
17. You try so many new foods and fall in love with all of them.
18. You are constantly asking people for wifi passwords.
19. You look for deals at every turn.
20. There are times when you desperately miss home.
21. When it comes time to leave, however, you want to stay and do it all over again.
22. You are excessively emotional when you finally reunite with your friends and family at home.
23. Finally home, you talk endlessly about your experiences to anyone that will listen, and people start to get annoyed with you.
24. You come to the conclusion that you MUST eventually go back to the country that you studied in.
