7 Hard Truths About Studying Abroad

Avoid the typical blunders made by students studying abroad. All students who are studying abroad should listen to these 7 pieces of brutally honest advice.
Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity. It’s easy to forget how valuable the opportunity is and not take full advantage of it. There are several common mistakes that many students might make when studying abroad, such as spending too much time in their room doing things they could do at home, allowing themselves to become overly homesick, or failing to meet new people.

You need to hear these seven brutally honest study abroad suggestions if you want to make the most of your time abroad.

1. Conserve a ton of money
   Studying overseas is costly, something that most people attempt to avoid acknowledging. Even though you may have previously paid for your lodging, visas, and education before you leave, unforeseen costs, food, and travel will still come up. The last thing you want is to be broke while traveling.
   Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you don’t want to be stuck with limits on how much you can travel or how many nights you can spend with friends because you didn’t save enough money. Prior to studying abroad, make sure you have as much money as possible and save at least twice as much as you anticipate needing.
2. Give Up Your Typical Routine
   Many students, particularly females but also boys, might become so engrossed in their daily routine while studying abroad that they lose sight of what really matters. It’s acceptable if you can’t wash your hair every morning, restock your beauty supplies overseas, or work out as much as you’d like to! It’s okay if you put on a few pounds, feel less glamorous than you usually do, or don’t contact home as frequently as you had hoped. Additionally, it’s crucial to keep in mind that since you will be living in a foreign nation for a while, your lifestyle will inevitably change to reflect the new way of life.
3. Bring Light
   I’ll state it clearly: you don’t need to pack as much as you may have assumed. Overpacking is a typical mistake made by most study abroad students, which leaves little space in your suitcase for shopping at foreign shops or purchasing mementos for friends or family. Additionally, if you don’t bring light for weekend travels, you’ll be forced to pay exorbitant fees on low-cost flights and be forced to carry your bulky bag or luggage on buses, trains, and airplanes. Packing too much is not as good for studying abroad as packing too little, so only bring what you think you’ll need and leave out one-fourth of it.
4. Overcome Your Hostel Fear
   Hostels are safer, cleaner, and friendlier than you may think, even if they may seem intimidating to first-time visitors. It’s also far more cost-effective to stay in a hostel rather than looking online for inexpensive hotels. A group of friends can sleep next to each other and interact with other hostel visitors, making hostels far less intimidating. You might be able to reserve a room in a hostel together and avoid sharing with strangers, depending on the size of your company.
5. Take as many trips as you can
   Make the most of your temporary foreign home by traveling as much as you can, especially if you’re studying abroad in Europe, which is typical for most students. You won’t likely live in this city and nation again in your lifetime. Make the most of your time there by seeing as much of the globe as you can, whether you’re traveling for a day trip an hour from your home base or spending weekends traveling to other nations. Making friends with locals who own automobiles and going on weekend road trips with them is also advantageous, particularly if you’re studying abroad in a country like America, Canada, New Zealand, or Australia.
6. Don’t Just Follow the Study Abroad Students
   Making the most of your study abroad experience by making new friends—whether they be local students from the country you’re visiting or new acquaintances you make in shared hostels during your weekend getaways—is essential, even though it’s normal to feel anxious when you meet new people.
   Meeting locals, particularly those your own age, is a great way to learn more about the culture of that nation. They may also offer you advice on the town and the country and assist you in using the native tongue of that nation.
7. Ignore Your Hometown Customs
   Many tourists, Americans especially, have a propensity to negatively perceive a foreign culture and experience homesickness for their comfortable native way of life by comparing everything they encounter to the customs of their home country. But doing so not only makes you not appreciate new cultures and experiences while studying abroad, but it also creates a poisonous mindset that makes you constantly want more of the same in your everyday life. In addition, you will come off as a drag to other study abroad students. Be grateful because, despite how strange it may seem, it’s ultimately a cultural learning experience.

The idea of having “no regrets” has been a common theme in these guidelines, but it’s crucial when studying abroad since if you don’t enjoy it to the fullest, you’ll regret it. Saying yes to almost anything and having experiences go hand in hand. If you’re apprehensive about sampling a popular local dish, traveling to a new location, or going out when you’d like to end the evening early, simply say yes! Of course, don’t do anything that makes you anxious.