There are two types of study abroad: solo, or with a group. That group can consist of individuals from several institutions, or a group of people from one institution. I studied abroad in Germany and Vienna for the spring 2014 semester, in a group with several people from the University of Montana. Preparing for my trip, I discovered that most articles, books, and guides about studying abroad are geared toward those about to embark on a solo experience. Though most of that literature will help prepare you for a group study abroad, there’s some things they don’t cover. I hope this article will help fill that gap. Gute Reise!
1. Carry your own damn luggage.
There's a reason "don't over-pack" makes it into virtually every piece of literature about studying abroad solo: you're alone, and you don't have any help. The fact you're studying abroad in a group doesn't mean you should pack more.
One woman in my group started out with three checked bags, each the maximum size allowed by the airline. Since we were in a group, she had the advantage of being able to guilt one of our colleagues into assisting her while we were in the airport. She became so frustrated that she downsized to two while we were still in the airport. (Please never leave an empty suitcase lying around in an airport, thank you.)
Look at your itinerary: you will need to carry your luggage between airports, trains, busses, hotel shuttles, subways, into the back of your host family’s (likely small) car, and more.
Managing your luggage from airport to train to whatever isn’t the sole issue. What if you get separated from the group, but Joe has the suitcase you stashed your toiletries and money in? Don’t pack more than you can manage efficiently by yourself.
2. Force yourself out of the English language comfort zone.
The mass-produced German iteration of the noble American brownie. Spotted by the author's bestie, Alex, in Neckargemünd, Germany.
When you’re in a group of English speakers, it’s natural to isolate yourself from the language around you. All but two of my classes were in English, which made it easier for me to neglect my language skills.
As a German major, it was important for me to develop my aural understanding and speaking skills. Here’s things I did:
a. Take the foreign-language brochure or audio guide at a museum, instead of the English one.
b. Try the restaurant that doesn’t have English translations on the menu. If you have food allergies, write those down on a piece of paper in the appropriate language(s) and keep it in your wallet or bag. Learn to ask if [dish] contains [allergens], and if the server doesn’t understand you, you can show them the paper. You don’t want a pronunciation mistake to result in a hospital stay!
c. Practice the language with your colleagues. You’re all bad at it, so it’s a judgement-free zone.
d. Make a script if you need something specific. When I ran out of allergy medicine, I wrote out how to ask for medicine for pollen allergies -- and asked my host sister to check my work. I felt confident going to the pharmacist, and had a successful experience. (Well, mostly -- I didn’t ask for non-drowsy medicine and slept for twelve hours.)
3. Everyone’s stresses and troubles are valid.
It's normal to feel wonky, like this little house in Neckargemünd. That doesn't really relate, but I love showing this house to people. Even next to one of the beautiful cathedrals I saw abroad, this little house is still my favorite building. A shorter house was next to it when it was built in the 16th century, so the top story was built accordingly.
No study abroad trip is free of difficulties. You and your colleagues will experience everything between small snafus and major tragedies. I switched host families shortly after we arrived in Vienna; later in the trip, one woman pointed out that my first host family wasn’t as bad as hers, and she was going to tough it out until the end.
When another colleague told us about some family issues at home she had to manage while abroad, this same woman pointed out that her grandmother passed our second week abroad, and told her to be grateful everyone in her family was healthy.
Telling someone their issues and negative experiences are less meaningful than yours is unkind. You don’t have to offer a shoulder to cry on (see number four), but you do need to be respectful.
4. It's okay to grow close to just a few people.
Shannon took this photo of Alex and I not adulting in a playground in Vienna. Out of frame: weirded out Viennese parents.
It’s fun to hang out as an entire group. Since there were only ten of us in my study abroad I group, we did that most weeks. However, it’s common to grow close with just a few people in the group. I was closest to three women named Tylyn, Alex, and Shannon, who helped move out of host family number one's apartment. Together we watched Mean Girls in German (instead of "fetch," they use "supi," short for "super"), inhaled ungodly amounts of European Nutella, and frequented every Käsekrainer stand within a twenty block radius of the Ringstrasse. Alex is now my platonic life partner, even though we live on opposite ends of the country; I'm going to Tylyn's wedding at the end of the month; and I Facebook stalk Shannon on the reg.
If three people go out for drinks and don’t invite you, don’t be offended -- after all, they didn’t invite anyone else in the cohort, either. If you feel like going out, ring one or two of the others on your foreign burner T-Mobile phone!
5. Get the necessary vaccinations, and bring your favorite over the counter medications from home.
Alex and I, jet-lagged but ready to meet the Burgermeister of Neckargemünd (who is much nicer than Burgermeister Meisterburger) our first week abroad. Not pictured: the germs that gave us a terrible cold the week after this photo was taken.
It’s easy to get ill when studying abroad. Your immune system isn’t functioning well because you’re jet-lagged, and you’re exposed to foreign germs your immune system isn't used to. When you’re studying abroad as a group, your cohort of equally jet-lagged colleagues will pass those foreign germs around: as soon as one of you gets something, it will make the rounds between all of you.
You want to ensure you don't catch anything worse than a cold or stomach bug -- and you want to be prepared for that cold or stomach bug, so you don’t have to figure out where the pharmacist is, how to get there, and how to ask for what you need in a foreign language while ill.
I vaccines (there's very few required for most developed nations, so I only needed to ensure my boosters were up to date), but I didn't bring anything besides ibuprofen. My friend Alex and I got ill our second week abroad; we were lucky our faculty advisor (hallo, Dr. Arens!) was kind enough to go to the pharmacist for us, while we slept in our hostel in Berlin.
6. Make a Facebook group.
One of my colleagues, Amy, posted this to our Facebook group.
This is a great tool for organization, but also for creating your own micro-community.
You can post a change in schedule, share the link to a fantastic online English to whatever language/whatever language to English dictionary, plan group dinners, and whine about declensions.
7. Get a foreign burner phone.
My Austrian burner phone. It had a game called Luxor Quest that I never played.
Are you at the church you thought your class was going to tour today, but no one else is? Have you found yourself alone in a creepy part of town and don’t understand the bus schedule? Feeling bored, but you’re nowhere near your house (and your study abroad Facebook group)?
Whip out that burner phone. You have a whole network of people to help you out, just a phone call away. It doesn't have a full keypad, but the texting skills you developed on your middle school Razr return quickly. Also, the battery life is amazing, because it doesn't have the Internet or fun apps.
I left my burner phone with my host family, to give to the next student they hosted.
