A Semester Abroad: From Brooklyn, New York to Freiburg, Germany

Hi! My name is Brianna Logan, and I am a junior at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. I am majoring in International Affairs and minoring in Business Management. In less than 24 hours, I will board my plane to study in Freiburg, Germany for the spring semester. Away from the comfort of Skidmore’s campus, my family, and friends. Considering I live on my home university’s campus, being away from my family and friends is not an unfamiliar experience. However, going to Freiburg has caused me to develop a mixture of emotions. The thought of living in a foreign environment makes me nervous but also excited. On one hand, I am nervous because this would be my first time going to Europe. On the other hand however, I am excited because I would finally get the chance to see the Eiffel tower, visit Anne Frank's house, and other historical sites in Europe. As a first-generation college student, the opportunity to study abroad is a great accomplishment not just for me but also my family and those that have helped me pave my academic path. I live by the proverb, “it takes a village to raise a child” because without the support from my family, teachers, and mentors I would not have gotten this far.

I remember the day I received my acceptance letter to attend Skidmore. Like the emotions I am currently experiencing, I was also afraid to attend my college because it was far away from my family and friends. The fear of stepping outside of my comfort zone caused me to nearly decline my acceptance offer. My family was also terrified about me moving away from home for college because growing up, they did not allow me to sleep at our neighbors’ or friends’ houses. It took my teachers’ and mentors’ advice in high school to convince me and my parents that attending college away from home was a great choice because it would teach me how to become more independent. Now in my third year at Skidmore, I am happy that I did not turn down my acceptance offer because by attending this academic institution, I not only became more independent, but I also made many close friends and obtained amazing opportunities such as getting accepted into the IES Abroad European Union program, where I would be able to study European politics more in depth, create new friendships, and learn more about European culture.

Taking into account the benefits I obtained through attending college away from home despite being afraid, I learned to not let fear prevent me from taking a chance in life because the outcome may be better than I anticipated. Therefore, even though I am terrified to take this journey, I remain positive. Hence, with my Yuval Hurari book, pen, and travel pillow in hand, I am eager to discover how studying abroad will impact my life.