I don’t want to give the typical response of “study abroad changed my life”, but it really did. These past 6 months have been some of the best I’ve ever had, and Europe has opened up not only new places and history to discover, but it has given me skills that I can use for the rest of my life. Even though I will be staying for another 7 months instead of leaving in the fall semester, I try not to think about it because it already makes me super sad. Of course I’m excited to see my family and friends, but if I’m being honest, I’m not looking forward to going back to campus at all. I guess you could say I have reverse home sickness! Right now I can already tell that the hardest thing about being back in the states will be leaving all of my friends here and missing the lifestyle where I can easily travel to amazing places. You can never be bored in Europe 😉 But sometimes I worry about not having public transportation in the US because I don’t drive, and I’m so used to being able to just hop on a train to wherever I want to go.
The most obvious skill I’ve learned is language. I can proudly say that I can understand a lot of German, which is something I never thought I would have been able to do. I also now have skills to adapt very quickly in new environments, which is extremely helpful for any job I hope to have in the future. Living here has made me realize that (in my opinion) Europe has many more advantages than the US does, and I think everyone should experience it at least once. Something that I find interesting is that the average church or castle here is older than the US as a country, which I’ll also miss exploring when I go back. From my host university, I will miss how laid back it is and how class is only once a week. But for students at ATU who may want to go to the university here in Germany, I think it’s important to know that there is not much guidance at all regarding picking classes, etc. The system definitely makes you become responsible for your own academics, and even though it makes it difficult when you first come here, I think it is important. So, be prepared to figure things out largely on your own.
Already, there are some things I’ve changed about the way I live. I use glass bottles a lot more now because they are better for the environment, and I am not craving unhealthy food or sugar like I did in the US. I also leave the window open more often for fresh air (very German). I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for the reverse culture shock I’ll get when I go back. Everything is so much bigger in the US, and they are not very environmentally friendly compared to Germany.
My general advice to those studying away is to save money, say yes to everything, but to not forget that you are here to study. I wish I saved up more money because there are so many cool places that I want to go to, and there are always fun things to do. Also, try to study abroad in the Fall semester because Christmas in Germany is a must have. I can’t wait to see what happens when I’m done with college; who knows, maybe I’ll end up back here 😉
See you in a few months ATU 🙂
-Roxi
