Post-Departure Thoughts and My Pitch to Study Abroad

My semester abroad in Paris included many of the most transformative experiences in my life. This is partially because I’m a senior, which I’ve talked about in other posts already. Still, it definitely goes beyond what I would normally experience as a first-semester senior back home. 

In chronological order, the first super unique thing about studying abroad is that you are essentially back to a freshman when you arrive at your housing and start orientation with your program. You’re in the middle of what is likely a completely new city or town for you, and you’re likely also surrounded by dozens or hundreds of other students that you’ve never met before. Along with trying to make sure you have a solid grasp on everything from classes to social life to enjoying the experience as much as possible, this is the recipe for the freshman year experience again. 

Instantly, this lifestyle, where you’re forced to adapt quickly to novel and exciting situations, will bring tons of growth. That’s just the way adapting to fully new environments will affect you, and this phenomenon should be welcomed as much as possible in my opinion. Throughout the semester, as I continued to step out of my comfort zone, I was on this roller coaster of change, and each passing day became more and more relaxing and enjoyable. The ways that I’ve been forced to adapt have gotten smaller and smaller relative to when I arrived, and it is a fantastic feeling. 

Traveling around Europe was also one of the leading influences for my personal growth this semester. Being exposed to so many different types of people and lifestyles was often a surreal experience (positively and negatively 😅), I remember just thinking so many times on the trip about these locals that I met in the different countries and just how different our lives could be despite living on the same planet. I’ve traveled abroad before on vacation with my family and friends, but it really sunk in throughout the semester after being exposed to some of the vast differences so frequently. I believe I now have a much greater understanding of how different environments, upbringings, and cultures can mold people so differently. Often, it is challenging to step into the shoes of others and see things from radically different perspectives, but I believe this is something that I’ve been able to improve this semester, which is a very beneficial lifelong lesson, in my opinion.

I could really write for pages about my thoughts on studying abroad and how fun it was but also, more importantly, how it’s impacted me so much personally. But to keep it relatively brief, to you as the reader, I hope I was able to convince you that studying abroad is at least worth thinking about. The journey of studying abroad truly goes way beyond the classroom since there are so many more important things going on around you, and these lessons were invaluable to my life.

Honestly, this semester has really been a blur at times, but when I reflect on it, I can think of so many different times of bliss, gratitude, excitement, nervousness, etc, to carry on with me for the rest of my time on Earth. I know I wrote a lot about life lessons and takeaways and such, but it really was the most exhilarating four-month stretch in my entire life. I’ve never experienced anything like my semester in Paris, and I don’t think I ever will again. Lastly, having had the privilege of doing all this in a city like Paris has been nothing short of a fever dream. 

After feeling like I missed out when all my peers returned from their semesters abroad and raved about their experiences, I’m super happy with my experience and my decision just to take the leap of faith and commit. There are so many personal factors to consider, but I really can’t recommend studying abroad enough to undergrad students in the US (especially in an amazing city like Paris). 

Final note - it’s been awesome leaving my thoughts on paper this semester, and I hope that there was some value to gain from these posts! Now, I’m so happy to be back at home in the suburbs of Massachusetts and see what the rest of my senior year has in store for me. I couldn’t be more excited to share and relive some of the amazing times I had this fall with my family and friends in the States. Thanks for reading!