Julie Nagler – Argentina&Uruguay – 5 Tips for a Successful Study Abroad Experience

August 7, 2017

5 Tips for a Successful Study Abroad Experience

1. Do your research. This accomplishes two things: First, it is obviously critical to be prepared for logistical reasons. You need to know what kind of weather it will be so that you’re not packing flip flops if it’s going to be winter. Secondly, though, it helps to excite you about the trip. Look up articles that are titled things like “Most interesting things about _” or “Top things to do in _” and it will help ease your nerves and boost your hype about your upcoming adventure.
Make a plan to stay in touch with friends and family. Homesickness is a very real issue, so it helps to set some sort of plan for staying in contact. If you don’t have wifi or data most of the time, try to set up a weekly or biweekly designated call time with friends. Even if it ends up changing based on your schedule, knowing in your mind that you have a routine will help give you peace of mind and they will love hearing about all of your wild adventures.
2. School comes first. It is critical to go into study abroad with the right mindset and realize that you have in fact committed to study abroad. It can be really easy to get distracted and ease into the “vacation” mode, but you have to remember that you technically signed up for classes and have the same responsibilities as you would on campus.
3. Be open-minded. Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. You will inevitably do things outside of your comfort zone at some points in your journey but know that nine times out of ten you will love these experiences and will experience momentous personal growth every time you challenge yourself.
4. Connect with your fellow students. Making friends is one of the best parts of anyone’s study abroad experience. I’ve had some of the best conversations of my life on my study abroad and have made potentially lifelong connections. Take initiative, introduce yourself, find connections with people and make plans to stay in touch after your adventure.
5. Take time to yourself. That being said, it is critical to designate some times in your journey to be on your own. Depending on your situation, you will almost inevitably be surrounded by people all the time which can be exhausting. It can also be hard to pass up doing things that everyone else is doing, but it is critical to take “mental health nights” or “mental health days” to be on your own, reflect on your experience so far and just unwind.

Written By

Julie Nagler

I'm a second year Psychology major from Concord, MA with minors in Spanish and Business Administration. My program while on this DOC is Spanish Language & Argentinean & Uruguayan Culture. I love movies of all types, animals (particularly my cats), food, and am devout Beatles fan. I am super excited to begin my Latin American adventure this July. I am mainly doing this program because I have yet to leave the country alone for an extended period of time. I feel that in addition to the inevitable Spanish and Cultural knowledge I will acquire, I will also earn a sense of confidence and independence. Thus, my main goals are to push myself out of my comfort zone and do things I wouldn't normally do. I also am excited about the meaningful friendships I will inevitably develop on trip.