By Madelynn Loring, Staff Writer
I know it’s cliché. I also understand that every study-abroad student ever has written something like this. However, I hope to give a more specific insight into study abroad at Regis as well as some general advice for travel in Europe. So, without further ado, here are 10 things I wish I knew before I studied abroad.
1) If you think you can’t afford to study abroad, think again.
Obviously this one needs some qualifiers. Everyone’s financial situation is different and there’s a lot more that plays into affordability than the number in your bank account. What my point is, is that study abroad can actually be really cheap at Regis compared to other schools or independent programs. The Office of Global Education has adjusted the way that study abroad is billed in this past year so that if you can afford to go to Regis and live on campus, you can afford to study abroad.
In my case, it has actually been cheaper to study abroad in France, including plane tickets, than it would have been for me to live in an O’Connell double with the cheapest meal plan, and it’s all because I am an exchange student. Regis offers dozens of study abroad options, but if you’re not sure you can foot the bill of a study abroad experience, look into exchange programs. Under the new billing method, as a Regis student studying abroad through an exchange program, you will pay the normal amount you pay for tuition (after scholarships and grants) plus a $1000 fee. Then, when you go abroad, you will receive tuition, housing, and in many cases, meals for no additional costs from your host university. For me, this meant I paid $1000 to Regis and, once abroad, received a single dorm room, tuition at Universite Paul-Valery, and a meal stipend of €300 per month. Don’t ask me how the math works on this one, because A) I have no idea and B) I don’t want it to change because this is what has made study abroad so affordable for me.
Obviously, the actual cost and the accommodations you receive abroad are going to change based on the program, but don't believe that studying abroad is out of the cards for you because of your financial situation. There’s a lot of ways to study abroad, many of which are more affordable than you think. (Also keep in mind that you can apply many types of student loans to a semester abroad and also that there are plenty of external scholarships available specifically for study abroad. I recommend starting your scholarship search at goingmerry.com)
2) Knowing your program is critical.
As much as I sing the praises of my exchange program, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. ISEP exchanges (the type of exchange program I am in) tend to be really cheap, but that is because they are hands-off. Once I signed my exchange contract, I was given an arrival date, a school start date, and about a dozen separate emails detailing various things I needed to get done, not only to go abroad, but to live abroad. I figured this was simply the way it was done until my host university’s orientation, when I saw other American students from different programs who had had their flight coordinated, their paperwork filled out, and their housing arranged by program coordinators and all they had to do was sign on the dotted line… and pay anywhere from $4,000-$10,000 more than I did.
In hindsight, I wouldn’t change the program I picked. It was affordable and, even though having to be almost totally independent was challenging, it gave me a chance to develop better independent problem-solving and also to explore my host city and university in my own way. However, if the idea of flying into a foreign country on your own and sorting things out yourself sounds impossible for you or if you simply like the idea of having weekend excursions planned for you, consider a program that offers more direct support, though keep in mind that it will probably be more expensive. Regardless of what program you ended up in, be sure that you understand what you’re getting yourself into and what supports you do have.
3) Stereotypes are just stereotypes (though sometimes there are some pieces of truth in them.)
The French are mean. They’re judgemental. They smell bad.
There are a lot of stereotypes that Americans have of the French, most of which I have found to be false. In fact, I have found the French to be more kind and understanding of strangers and foreigners than most Americans. They are a little smelly, but so is everyone who lives here, regardless of nationality. It's simply impossible to not be given the weather.
Regardless of where you’re headed to study abroad, you are going to have preconceived notions of what your host culture is going to be like. Leave them on the plane, and discover the local culture yourself. Holding stereotypes as truth is only going to negatively impact the way you behave in a foreign culture and make forming connections more difficult.
4) You can’t learn your host culture from a book, but be sure to do your research.
I like to figure things out via books. For God’s sake, I’m a psych major, I’m studying how to figure people out via books. Unfortunately, this is not something you can do with the country you are going to spend your semester abroad in. I tried, believe me, but a lot of what I read turned out to be either not applicable to my region of France or simply entirely untrue. Cultures are complex and ever changing, and even if you read every book on the culture of your host country, you are still going to be caught off-guard by certain things. Close the books and spend more time working on your problem solving and reconciliation skills.
That being said, don’t not open a book in the first place. I can’t relate to doing this, but one of my friends did not do any research before arriving. Because of this, she was wearing long sleeves and jeans in 100 degree Fahrenheit, high-humidity weather, she did not have a swim suit to go to the beach, and she slept on a bed with no sheets for her first night because she didn’t know that sheets would not be provided. She also was unable to eat at the university cafeteria or get a tram card because she did not do enough research to know how to complete her residency paperwork. She still got it all figured out in the end, but it ended up being a lot more stressful and expensive than it needed to be.
In summary, be sure to research basic facts and administrative procedures beforehand, but leave learning about cultural and social nuances until you arrive onsite.
5) Pack in a travel backpack. For real.
I read this piece of advice in several places and decided to ignore it. Don’t.
It was all fun and games, packing in a large suitcase and a carry on, until I arrived at my residence hall. 5 stories, no elevator, and I was on the fifth floor. Let me tell you, getting to my room on that first day was the most physically difficult thing that I have done in my life (and I am a gym rat who does ballet).
I understand the desire to try to pack your whole life to take with you (this is tip 5 ½: you don’t need to do that; it will only weigh you down and make your room messy) but at the very least swap your carry-on for a travel or backpacking bag. Not only will it make your trip from the airport to your residence hall/host home easier, but it also makes packing for other smaller trips you’ll likely take much easier. Many budget airlines permit passengers to have a backpack for free but will charge extra for a carry-on suitcase. Furthermore, if you’re traveling in Europe, it will not be fun to have a roller bag. I just returned from a trip to Italy, and let me tell you that my friend who packed in a roller carry-on rather than a backpack had a miserable time navigating her bag everywhere, from the cobblestone streets of Rome to the never-ending stairs in Venice. I packed in my school backpack, which was fine, except that you can’t really fit 10-days of clothes in a school backpack, which meant I had to do quite a bit of laundry.
Long story short, do yourself a favor and get a large backpack to travel in. Roller suitcases are not your friend.
6) Friendships are hard to come by for some people and super easy to form for others. Challenge yourself to get outside your comfort zone and you’ll be amazed by the relationships you’ll form.
When I was talking to previous study abroad students, my big question was how to make friends abroad. Unfortunately, I got a lot of very unsatisfying answers, mostly along the lines of, “It’ll just happen :)” and while that may be the case for some people, it was not the case for me. I wouldn’t call myself a typical study abroad student; I’m anxious about pretty much everything and am not very outgoing at all. I wanted an action plan for how to make connections and there wasn’t really one I could find.
So, if you’re a gregarious extravert, these next few tips aren’t for you, but, if you’re worried you’re going to end up lonely on your trip abroad because friends don’t just happen for you, here’s some advice from someone who was in the same boat.
#1 Chances are you will be forced to meet people at an orientation; take advantage of this time. Everyone is looking for friends at this point, so this is going to be the easiest time to find other study abroad friends.
#2 Get involved in something that locals do. I’ve found that making friends with other international students is much easier than making friends with locals. However, for an immersive experience you definitely want to cultivate local relationships. I’ve found I’ve had an easier time connecting when there is some sort of activity at hand that doesn’t require a lot of language skill, especially if you’re new to the language being spoken. Both my friend and I have had great luck joining local dance classes, but chances are that if there’s something that interests you, it interests enough people in your host country that there will be a club/class for you to join to meet locals in a manner that is not totally language dependent.
#3 Be patient. It took me nearly two months to form a friendship with someone local. It might go faster for you, but it might not, and there might be some speed bumps along the way, but keep putting yourself out there. You’ll find your people eventually, even if they aren’t the ones you were expecting.
7) No matter how good your language ability is, language immersion will be a learning curve. The only way to get your language to where you want/need it to be is to try and make mistakes.
I thought I was pretty good at French until I arrived in France. I had taken four years of French in highschool and two classes at the 400-level in college. My friend thought she was pretty good at French until she arrived in France. She had taken four years of French in high school, studied abroad during her junior year, and is a French language major. My other friend thought she was pretty good at French until she arrived in France. She only started taking French this past year in university. We all struggled with the language upon our arrival in France.
Whether you think you are a fluent speaker or you have studied your host language before, being immersed is going to be a game changer. However, the only way you are going to improve and reach your language goals is by putting yourself out there and trying. You will make tons of embarrassing mistakes and have plenty of awkward silences in search of words, but usable language cannot be learned from a textbook. While you are abroad, you will have one of the best opportunities to learn another language that the world has to offer. Take advantage of it, even if it's uncomfortable.
8) There’s plenty of similarities to be found anywhere you go in the world…
The French eat so many hamburgers and fries it's not even funny. I was told that those things were American food and to not expect them, but steak hache et frite (hamburger patty and fries) is offered at almost every meal at the dining hall. Additionally, there are stores similar to Target/Walmart in practically every major French city. Honestly, I feel there are more similarities to the U.S. here than differences.
I am not saying that this will be the case with every country. I can only imagine I would feel differently if I studied abroad outside western Europe, or if I studied abroad in a country that spoke English. Regardless, when you are studying abroad, you are not traveling to some alien planet. Chances are, there will be plenty of similarities to home, and even if there aren't many, we are all human, and there will be ways to find common ground based on that alone.
9) But there are also going to be plenty of differences you never would have expected.
I did not bring any hangers with me when I came to France. They were too bulky, and certainly there would be hangers to buy, right? Wrong. I looked in over five home goods stores and found none. There was even a bar to hang clothes on with three hangers in my closet when I arrived, but I could not find hangers anywhere. I ended up having to go to IKEA to be able to hang my clothes.
I never would have expected hangers to be one of my biggest struggles of getting settled in France but they were. So, my advice is to expect the unexpected and be flexible. There are things that are going to be so unbelievably bizarre to you as an outsider, but ask questions and be observant, and you’ll be able to work through it.
10) Your time abroad is what you make of it.
I am about two and a half months through my first semester of study abroad. I have traveled to every region of France as well as gone to four major Italian cities and the Vatican. I also have trips planned to three more countries before I leave. My French has improved drastically, jumping almost a level and a half on the CEFR language scale. I’ve made dozens of new connections and three good friends I am sure I’ll know for the rest of my life.
Yet, there are people in my program who have made very few connections, not left the country or even the region, and have made very little improvement with their language. Some of them have said they are happy with their experience so far while others have expressed their disappointment with the study abroad experience.
I don’t write this to shame them, but to illustrate that you control what your experience abroad is. Like many things in life, you will get out of it what you put in. If you are constantly trying to travel, explore, make connections, and learn, you will find studying abroad to be one of the highlights (if not the highlight) of your life so far. However, if you don’t make an effort, chances are you won’t have the same experience. When you study abroad, you are the author of your own story. Seize the opportunity.
I understand that this is a long soap box, and that it certainly is not comprehensive. However, I want to share what I have learned with students headed out to study abroad in the spring, or folks who are trying to decide if studying abroad is right for them. If you are a part of the latter group, I do have an answer for you. Study abroad is for you. There’s no program that is one size fits all but there is a program for you. This is said frequently, but studying abroad is life changing (or at the very least incredibly fun) and if you find yourself with the opportunity to do it, embrace it with open arms.
To learn more about studying abroad, contact the Regis University Office of Global Éducation at oge@regis.edu or online at www.regis.edu/academics/global-learning-opportunities/study-abroad