Studying Abroad for Dummies (From a Recently Former Dummie)

“Why would you want to study abroad? You are already studying abroad!”—is the response I was met with from several Pakistani friends and relatives when I shared the news that I’d be spending the Fall of 2024 with IES Abroad Vienna. Truth be told, my loved ones were right! As an international student studying in the U.S., I had to deal with the culture shock of moving to the South of the U.S., pack up the entirety of my life in two suitcases, and start fresh in a new continent. What my loved ones did not know, however, is that in order to satisfy my insatiable desire for exploration, the price of initial discomfort is a small one to pay.

As a senior in high school, I spent countless weeks sifting through research on universities and colleges around the world. I was a teenager in the heart of Pakistan looking to forge my own path and to engross myself in experiential learning experiences outside the classroom. I still distinctly remember the time that I read “approximately 70% of students at Davidson College study abroad.” This was the factor that drew me in to further look into Davidson, a school I knew nothing of to begin with, but am currently a proud student of. And now, I am eternally grateful to consider myself a part of that 70%. 

Before committing to IES Abroad Vienna: European Society & Culture, I had to embark on a mission to find the best-fitting program for me. Here are a couple of factors that impacted my decision to choose IES Abroad Vienna: 

Academics

As a Philosophy and Economics double major, there weren’t too many programs for me out there that offered students the opportunity to gain exposure in both fields. IES Abroad Vienna was unique in this regard! I quickly learned that, with IES Abroad, I’d be able to take classes in European Banking but also in Cross-Cultural Philosophy. Not to mention that Davidson, as a liberal arts college, does not offer too many technical courses in finance, and I jumped at the opportunity to be able to take more technical courses. 

Experiential Learning 

My program will allow me to seek internship experiences beyond the classroom! If you’re a college student like me, you might have a rough idea of what you want to do in the future but are still terribly conflicted with all the possible career paths that lay ahead. I trust that work experience in Austria will not only help me gain more clarity on what field I want to pursue, but also on where I want to pursue it (for instance, in Europe or in North America). I was additionally excited by the prospect of taking field trips outside the classroom. In Vienna, I will not just be moving from one lecture to another, but from one location to another, too!  

Travel & Location 

Growing up, I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled extensively across Asia. Europe, however, remained uncharted territory. For this reason, the prospect of studying abroad in Austria excited me. While I don’t speak German and have never experienced life in Europe, I hope to learn more through my study abroad experience. It will allow me to immerse myself in a new culture with the safety net of IES Abroad there to catch me, should I need it. And thanks to Vienna’s geographical centrality, it would be easy enough to visit neighboring countries like France or Italy when the time allows for it. When choosing to study abroad, it is just as important to consider personal interests as it is to consider academic ones. For me, it’s been on my bucket list to see the works of my favorite painter, Gustav Klimt, at the Belvedere Palace! 

My parting advice to anybody considering studying abroad is to remember that there’s no one way to do it! There’s no “right” reason to go abroad—for me, it was exposure to a different kind of academic and social environment. For somebody else, the driving force could simply be a love of travel, intellectual curiosity, or the prospect of new friendships. And while some might want to stick to a location closer to their comfort zone, others might want to challenge themselves with the complete unknown. It’s also completely okay to not know what you want to get out of your study abroad experience! Some folks may prefer going into their study abroad with a clean slate and open mind, hoping to come out with more questions (i.e. a sense of direction), rather than straightforward answers. 

What all study abroad students have in common, though, is this: new, unique experiences. Undoubtedly, any such experiences are likely to challenge you as a person and as a student. And as I begin my own journey in Vienna, I am both comforted by the fact that I made the right decision, and excited by the prospect of new adventures. If you’re a college student looking to gain the most out of their college experience, studying abroad might be the best way to do it.