Making Every Moment Count!
Flying more than six hours and landing on an airport with people around speaking British accent really sparked my Dialogue in London. As soon as I settled down in my dorm, I put on my sneakers, or what Londoners call trainers, and began walking, literally.
Staying in a dorm and watching Big Bang Theory could have been perfect after a long flight. With a pillow under my head and a computer on the desk, London could have felt like my home. But, trust me, that is not a good thing.
The main goal of participating in the Dialogue is not to stay in your dorm and read textbooks all day or binge-watch the TV show you saved for the summer. Then what is the point of the Dialogue? It is to study with first-hand experiences of the host country and its culture.
If you want to make worth of every penny you spent for the Dialogue, taking some of the following tips seriously will not hurt but help you.
Tip 1. Research the host country of the Dialogue and do it before you get there.
It may be easy to think that planning the weekend the day before will do. But, the truth is, it will not. Before you buy new clothes and pack your bag, open your laptop and research about the host country of the Dialogue. While researching, save the places you want to visit or the shows you want to watch, and you will not waste a single minute of your free time during the Dialogue.
Tip 2. Try to bring out the extrovert side of yourself.
Sometimes the people on the Dialogue can be students that you have never met, but they are the people that you will make memories with. Although it may be hard for some students to engage in conversation with people that they have never met before, being able to bring out the unconscious extrovert self out and making new friends can for sure help you make better memories.
Tip 3. Get out of your dorm.
This may sound silly, but everything you see as soon as you leave your dorm will be new. Noticing how the driver seat is on the right side, how elementary school students wear uniforms, and how people talk in different accents. Every small experience right outside the dorm will be worth a little walk.
Tip 4. Choose traditional foods over fast-foods.
After hours of classes and fields trips, it is easy to walk into McDonald’s and get a cheeseburger with french fries. Rather than walking into fast-food restaurants that you have been before, try traditional foods that are unique to the host country!
Tip 5. Do not be afraid to spend money, wisely.
Be afraid about wasting money, but do not hesitate to watch the show you have wanted to watch just because it costs more than what you expected. As mentioned above, the main goal is to experience the country and its culture. Watch the shows you want to, eat the traditional dessert after the entree, and buy the ticket to the museum to explore.
Explore, experience, and enjoy!
