Study Abroad - Going On Exchange

No matter how much you love your college when junior year rolls around you'll start to get that itch in your toes to get up and get away. Maybe the great college deities knew about this when they decided that it would be traditional for third year college students to travel abroad. As for me, I'm on exchange in Australia (from the United States) right now and I am absolutely having the time of my life. I would recommend it to anyone. That is, Australia and, more generally, going abroad. Not only do you get to travel to a totally new part of the world and experience the people, weather and culture there, but you get to grow and change and develop your own independence.

Obviously not everyone has such a moronically glowing review of going abroad. Some people are totally miserable. I have a close friend who arrived in Florence and cried for 3 days almost straight because she was so homesick and overwhelmed at the reality of living in a new city where she had to speak a new language and live in an apartment with a total stranger. I mean, that's pretty scary stuff. But it can also be exciting. Here are 12 points of advice I would offer to anyone on his or her way abroad.

1. Open your mind.

2. Learn the language.

3. Read a book by a prominent author from that country.

4. Wikipedia it!

5. Find out who the president/prime minister/monarch is.

6. Set up a Skype account and make sure your friends and family do too, then set up dates at least once a week when you will definitely make yourselves available to talk (www.skype.com).

7. Be patient, with other people and with yourself.

8. Introduce yourself to your professors.

9. Meet locals.

10. Do embarrassing, touristy things while you're there. It's alright to have fun and you might not get back too soon!

11. Change your homepage to a news station from that country (ie. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ or http://www.lemonde.fr/).

12. Take time for yourself. Make sure you're checking in with yourself any quiet moment to be sure that you're comfortable and happy in your new surroundings. Breaks from intense study or nights off from hard partying are always good ideas.