Category: Advice

Reflection on my Time Abroad

Published on by sarahblaiserLeave a comment

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Looking back on my time abroad, I am so grateful for the experience I had. I traveled to lots of different places, made many new friends, and learned so many things about myself and in school as well. Studying abroad was a difficult decision that took lots of work, but I think it was fully worth it. All of the preparation work was well worth the experience.

Aix was an amazing city to be set up in for my first time living abroad. It was small enough that there was a lot of safety and I was able to come to know many of the locals around me. It was also big enough that I was able to learn history and explore the area. It is close enough to an airport that it makes travel easy, and it has a beautiful Main Street full of things to do. Along with Aix being a great city, IAU was a great school to study at. They offered events after school and within the community to aid in immersing yourself. They offered challenging, but also less intense classes so you could learn but also adjust as well. They have a few buildings on their campus, which makes it feel like you have more freedom and a push to explore a bit. It is right in the city too so you are close to lots of shops and restaurants for when you get breaks.

Another part of my time abroad that I really appreciated was my host mother. She made me feel comfortable almost immediately. She made sure to present the rules of her house and expectations and helped me often with my French. I always felt I could come to her with questions about the language, culture, or honestly anything. As I am home looking back on my time, she is the biggest thing that stands out, and what I miss the most. One thing that was told to me in the prep week before school started, was that any conflict that arose between me and my host family would likely be due to a miscommunication in language. I found this to be extremely true. I did my best to be patient any time we had any confusion because I knew that we probably just didn’t understand each other right. Thankfully my host mother has had many students before me, and was patient as well and knew if I said questionable things, it was likely on accident. This led to lots of laughs.

Another piece of advice is to not take yourself too seriously. With another culture and language, there were lots of laughs, hopefully with me but definitely some at me as well. Adapting to another culture is learning that you won’t always be perfect. Others may be hard on you, some may laugh, but you are learning and that’s all that matters. Take it in stride. You are doing something amazing, don’t let anyone get to you.

By traveling, I not only got to see so much of Europe, but I also became more confident in myself and my abilities. I was able to get myself out of trouble when things went wrong. And when things went right I was able to celebrate. I learned so much about so many other cultures and a lot of French. I was able to take my previous classes in French and learn so much more about the language. I have heard people say that the best way to learn a language is to submerse yourself in it, and I cannot agree more. Do not get me wrong, it is very lonely at first and can hurt confidence a bit, but after trial and error, it really pays off to see how much one can learn. I really saw my French abilities expand and with that, I felt my confidence do so as well. Coming home I now know that I can handle so much more than I originally thought.

Along with the good, there was some bad of course. Homesickness and loneliness can be a tough battle while abroad. I really struggled with it, but I think communication with your host family, family, and friends back home, and even a resource such as school would have helped. If I could go back I would take advantage of those resources for sure. However, it is manageable on your own as well, but it is really important to know that there are lots of ups and downs and you really aren’t alone.

I remember before I went abroad there were so many people who would tell me exactly what I should and shouldn’t do. I think my best advice is to think about it before and do what is best for you. Some people want to travel, some people don’t, some people want to take lots, of classes, and some don’t. Figure out what is best for you and go from there. It is also okay to try one thing, realize it’s not for you, and do something else. It seems really straightforward, but when everything is different around you some of the easiest things become the hardest. Just remember to be patient with yourself and listen to what you need.

Dealing With Homesickness and Affects of Abroad

Published on by stefaniepaikLeave a comment

When being in a new country alone, after the honeymoon phase of study abroad you begin to miss aspects of home; even mundane aspects of home like going grocery shopping. At Korea University, the quarters are 14 weeks long, so I am currently on week 10. Back home at DU, the fall quarter is done and winter break has begun.

Firstly I am lethargic from school because I would be done with school right now, enjoying the break. So a major change from US college life to Korean college life is not having days off to relax. Besides Chuseok, which is celebrated at the end of September, there are very few days off from school. After living through the newness of Korea and experiencing all of the items on my Korea bucket list I have begun to miss things back home. For example, I miss American chips. While this may sound strange, I miss American Cheetos, Doritos, and Lays because a majority of the chips in Korea are sweet; even garlic bread in Korea is sweet.

To combat homesickness there are numerous ways and it depends on what sort of homesickness you are experiencing, so I will just share what I have been doing. One way I am combating homesickness is by constantly going out and finding new experiences to enjoy. This helps because my mindset is to experience anything and everything because one day my study abroad will conclude and who knows when I will come back to Korea. So by continuously staying busy, I find myself not feeling as homesick.

Another way I combat homesickness is by regularly staying in contact with my friends and family. While this is difficult due to the time difference, we still talk about whatever. Denver is 16 hours behind Seoul so when it is morning for me, it is nighttime in Denver and vice versa. I will update friends or family about my day or anything on my mind.

I’m fortunate enough to be in a country that I have family in, so in that sense, I don’t feel lonely or don’t feel like I don’t have anyone to turn to. Another thing that I am thankful to have is the ability to speak, read, and write Korean. My friends who are new to the Korean language are having a more difficult time adjusting to society because they do not know Korean. Seoul is more foreigner-friendly and is fairly easy to navigate if you do not know Korean. Many restaurants and stores in Seoul will be accustomed to interacting in English. If you decide to travel outside of Seoul, the need to understand Korean is greater because those cities are less likely to accommodate English speakers. For example, my friends are I traveled to the seaside of Korea and my friends relied on me to speak to taxi drivers or order food.

If you decide to study in Korea, it is important to understand what you are signing up for and what culture you are walking into. Korea, while travel-friendly, is still a highly conservative and homogenous society.