I'm a college student and have just found out about a chance for me to study abroad. There are many choices but I narrowed it down to England or Ireland. The cost is as actually less expensive than what I pay for a semester at my current college. The study abroad program lasts for one semester. I just wondered if there are any people out there who have studied abroad. If you wouldn't mind I'd really like to hear about your experiences!
congradulations! very few people realize that studying abroad is FUCKING AMAZING and probably the best thing a student can do with his/her life i went to new zealand for a semester (i live in connecticut). every day was an adventure. i ended up living in the dorms, with maybe 8 other americans and a few hundred kiwis (kiwi=new zealander). we would play guitar during the week, climb trees and smoke weed, explore the beautiful city of christchurch, and just chill out. on the weekends we (the americans) would usually travel together in our hippie van to remote locations that you could not imagine (picture crystal clear lakes, huge fucking mountains, endless expanse and not a single person). we went bungee jumping and sky diving, we partied hard, we enjoyed the new zealand culture. it was the best time of my life and largely defines me as a person right now. i still keep in contact with a number of the people i went to school with. mostly americans, but a few kiwis as well. we travel together back here in the states. a few suggestions.....if you have the choice to live with people from the foreign country or to live with just americans, choose the former! the experience will be so much better if you live with the natives. keep in mind though that americans and other foreigners are more apt to travel, so you will probably end up hanging out with the british folk on weekdays, then travelling around europe with some american fellows. be prepared for your return....i didnt like to think about having to go home. i knew it would be rough, but it turned out to be a lot harder than i had imagined. reverse culture shock is more dramatic than when you first go away. my life back home is a lot less exciting than it was in new zealand, and when i went home, well, all of a sudden reality hit me and i realized that all my friends were gone. vanished. either in faraway parts of the US or still in new zealand, many of whom il never see again. all of the great things that you experienced, NO ONE BACK HOME WILL BE ABLE TO RELATE TO. you can tell them funny adventures, but they will just stare at you blankly, because they werent there. you will have changed immensely, but everything back home will be the same. you will show your friends back home all tho fotos you took, and they will only feign interest. the only people who will understand are the people who you were abroad with, and for this reason, youl never loose tough with em if youv got any more questions feel free to respond to this or PM me good luck
I also really want to take part in a study abroad program. Hopefully someday I will get the oppurtunity to do so.
I'd go to Ireland if I were you, but that's just because I love the accents (and I have Irish ancestry)
i'm hoping to be able to do a study abroad trip during the fall of my senior year. thats the best time i can do it while at my school. my cousin went to Ireland for a semester, she had a blast. she recommends trying to get into a study abroad program...i just hope i'm able to do it.
There are lots of American exchange students in my uni and they all seem to be loving it. So yea, you should definitely go for it if you have the chance.
