I deeply cherish my experiences studying abroad, but, looking back, there are a few things I wish I would have done differently. If you’re planning to study abroad, learn from my mistakes, and I hope you make different choices.
- Choosing a Popular Destination
- Traveling (Almost) Every Weekend
- Choosing an Apartment
- Not Getting Involved in the Community
- Not Saving Gen Ed Credits
Choosing a Popular Destination
I wrote an entire blog post about the reality of studying abroad in Barcelona, so I’ll keep this section short. While I loved Barcelona, it was overrun with study abroad students. Locals were scarce and sometimes unwelcoming (for legitimate reasons), and I felt guilty that I was contributing to the problem. Choose the less popular study abroad destination where the community jumps at the opportunity to host you, and you can foster deeper connections. Plus, it’ll give you a way more interesting backstory.
Traveling (Almost) Every Weekend
You might have many opportunities to travel in your life but only one opportunity to live in a foreign country. I wish I would have slowed down and been more intentional with my time in Barcelona. It’s not that I regret spending a beautiful weekend exploring Paris or London, but I spent too much time playing tourist when I should have embraced being a study abroad student. The heart of study abroad is turning a foreign place into your home, like practicing your Spanish with local friends at some hole-in-the-wall restaurant.
Choosing an Apartment
I chose to live in an apartment with other study abroad students because it was in my comfort zone. I loved my apartment and being able to host get-togethers with my friends like cooking a Thanksgiving dinner in our kitchen. However, you’ll have other opportunities to live in an apartment with your friends during college or in your 20s. You’ll probably only study abroad once.
Students who choose a homestay or university residence hall interact much deeper with their host community. Students in homestays experience local life, eat home-cooked meals, and learn about the culture on an intimate level. Students in university residence halls befriend local students and might get to visit a friend’s hometown during the holidays. Living with locals allows students to connect with the local community in a way that I did not from my apartment.
Not Getting Involved in the Community
Study abroad programs offer internships, volunteer opportunities, or other community-based activities, and I regret not taking advantage of them. Since I’m not fluent in Spanish or Catalan, my classes were exclusively for study abroad students. I never actually interacted with true local students at school.
Interning or volunteering in your destination better immerses you in the community (and looks great on a resume). Plus, these are experiences you might only be offered as a study abroad student, not a tourist.
Not Saving Gen Ed Credits
I studied abroad my junior year, and I had already taken most of my general education (gen ed) credits by then. I took courses on the culture of Catalonia anyway, and I’m so grateful that I did, but it would have been nice to get credit for it. Study abroad is far more enjoyable when you can take a 100-level course on local cuisine instead of a 300-level economics course, for example. Plus, it’s not easy to find major-specific courses abroad; a flexible schedule will expand your options.
I doubt that I will have another opportunity to “live” in a foreign city for three months, and I regret spending so much of it like a tourist. Go abroad with intention, and embrace the experiences unique to a study abroad student.
Latitudes with Lucy 
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