In every conversation and conference about study abroad, I heard the
endless reports of how absolutely fantastic studying abroad can be. It’s the most wonderful experience, an initiator of life change, the chance of a lifetime.
I would say that those things are true, even after such a short time.
However, speaking only of the beauty of study abroad refuses to
acknowledge the fact that studying abroad is hard. It requires days of preparation and nights of anxious worrying. It requires seemingly endless streams of time and money. It requires late nights and early mornings with research, readings,
and papers that take you away from all the traveling you would rather be
doing. Nobody talks about how stressful booking flights, hotels, trains, and
events are. Nobody brings up the workload. And certainly, nobody would
think speak about the fact that everything costs money.
I’m learning now that everything is a matter of perception.
These last few months, every time a person spoke of how wonderful study
abroad experiences are, I always assumed they meant it would be
wonderful in terms of the fun, the adventure, and the time off. I
thought they meant it was like a vacation, where you learn some neat
things every once in a while but spend most of your time exploring the
world.
My perception was off. When they spoke of how wonderful it is, they meant something deeper
than adventures and something more than pretty pictures. They meant
studying abroad was a chance to be challenged and a chance to grow. It’s
an opportunity to learn more about yourself than you ever thought. It’s
a training ground to mature. It’s a way to learn more in two weeks than
in six months.
All of those people were right. Studying abroad is a wonderful
experience, an initiator of life change, and the chance of a lifetime.
But if you translate those characteristics as “fun, adventurous, and
easy,” then you’ll be frustrated with every paper and anxious every
night. Interpret the beauty of study abroad as “challenging, maturing,
and all-encompassing,” and you’ll never be disappointed.
It is fun. It is adventurous. There is time off. But if you think
that’s all it is, you’ll have the technical difficulties that I had,
believing that everything is only about having a fun adventure. Learn to
appreciate the growth and the challenge, because they are building you.
Embrace the training ground and take it for all it’s worth.
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Follow Hunter as he studies business in Germany at https://heartoverseas.wordpress.com/
For more internship and study abroad opportunities
within Walton College, visit http://walton.uark.edu/global/index.ph
