It's official—I'm going abroad next semester!

My application process was a little challenging, for I was admitted as a freshman to OU due to my age. Typically, students at OU must complete a year on campus before they have the ability to study abroad, but freshmen are able to complete a petition to study abroad their freshman year in certain instances. I completed the petition and got approved, presumably because of the number of credit hours I have. Because of the person I am, I did everything super last minute and was rushing around to get all of my application materials together, but I got it done before the deadline. These materials included short, personal essays, reading through basic information about studying abroad, and letters of recommendation from previous instructors.

Along with the application for studying abroad, I also completed the PITF (Presidential International Travel Fellowship) scholarship application. This scholarship was implemented by OU's previous president, David L. Boren, to ensure that students from all socioeconomic backgrounds are given the opportunity to travel abroad. The scholarship either helps pay for your flight to travel abroad, or it covers the entire cost depending on how much money you receive and how much your flight will cost. If you receive the scholarship, you must complete a service component in exchange which overall includes promoting study abroad and participating in various study abroad presentations.

OU's study abroad website is a little overwhelming, so finding a program right for me wasn't easy. I first thought I wanted to go to Mexico, but I then decided the classes wouldn't work for me. I would recommend meeting with advisors for different parts of the world to find what type of program and what universities will work best for you and your degree.

In the end, I decided on the University of East Anglia in Norwich within the UK. I chose this university because they offer a ton of interesting literature courses. With my major being Language Arts Education, UEA seems to be the perfect place for me since they offer many courses that will keep me on track with my degree and allow me to graduate on time.

Not only is UEA great for my degree, but it is also in a gorgeous little city close to London. The city is based around the Norwich Cathedral, which is the city's namesake (obviously). It appears to be a truly English city, giving you a small town, village-like feel. While looking at pictures of the city, I got major Beauty and the Beast vibes when Belle is walking through her town singing Bonjour. I know Beauty and the Beast is French, but the way the buildings on Norwich's city streets are set up remind me a lot of the way they are set up in the movie. Also, since Norwich is just a couple of hours from London, there is an ample amount of opportunity for me to travel affordably around Europe. Some places I hope to go include Ireland, France, Amsterdam, and wherever the locals recommend me.

Aside from UEA being the perfect fit for me and being a great place to visit in general, I am very nervous about traveling abroad. I have never traveled out of the States, especially not alone. At my pre-departure meeting, I found out that I am the only OU student who will be exchanging to UEA next semester. This doesn't necessarily bother me because I expected it, but it is slightly nerve-wracking knowing that I won't have any fellow Sooners there with me. Also, at the meeting, I spoke with two girls from UEA who are studying at OU for the year. The girls were super welcoming and gave me great advice about UEA and Europe in general. If you're going abroad, I would highly recommend you to talk to students from your host university or students from OU who have studied at your host university in the past. This way, you know a little more about your host university and what to expect at different points of your study abroad experience.

Overall, I am very excited but also anxious for my study abroad experience. I look forward to meeting new people from unfamiliar places, and to open my eyes to the different perspectives throughout the world. As an American, I feel like I sometimes get trapped in an American bubble—I don't always know what's going on in other places, and I think that is a detrimental part of the American mindset.