By Anna Zsófia Nagy
Saying yes to new things during your study abroad program will lead you to the most unexpected experiences. There will also be unforgettable adventures and amazing people too, so if you ask me, it’s so worth it.
Just to give you a couple of examples: I canoed among gators, sang on a festival stage, tried reindeer meat, saw a hummingbird’s nest, visited glaciers, watched the sunrise from a mountaintop while listening to bagpipes, and I’ve got even more stories that I’ll definitely be telling my grandkids.
I spent a semester studying in New Orleans, and it was the perfect place to never be bored. Every weekend brought a new opportunity to explore the city and meet new people. There were countless Mardi Gras parades, live music nights at jazz bars, concerts in parks, and if I wanted calmer, quieter programs, I could choose to go to art galleries, vintage stores, Mississippi cruises, museums, and the list goes on. Therefore, every weekend I was ready to try something new.
The first month, I took homework so seriously that I finished every assignment days ahead of the deadline, and I had plenty of free time to go to the pool or the park or hang out with my fellow international students. But as the weeks went by, the workload kept increasing, and it became a challenge to find the balance between doing my best in school and enjoying my social life as well. Fortunately, my new friends and I all held each other accountable and didn’t go anywhere until we were all done with our tasks. It was so motivating that we all learned to work more efficiently.
Getting over the loneliness wasn’t easy either. Of course, the people I had met 2 weeks earlier weren’t really my closest friends, but at the same time, I had to realize that they were all I had and vice versa. So even when I felt out of place and surrounded by people that I barely knew, I needed to stay open-minded and curious because I wanted to form meaningful connections. The water was deep, but thankfully, we were all in the same boat. Slowly, all of us became more comfortable inviting each other to every program that we heard of, and by the end of the semester, it was completely natural that we all went together everywhere.
My advice to those of you who are about to go on your study abroad experience is to keep an eye out for all the school-organized events, join clubs, meet and befriend other internationals, and try things you’ve never tried before. Even if these normally wouldn’t be your first choices in your home country, trying out the most unusual stuff might turn out to be rewarding. And the most important thing is, if you have great ideas, don’t be afraid to become the event planner and invite your soon-to-be friends and have some fun together.
Good luck!