I came home from a semester of studying abroad in England three weeks ago, and I can honestly say the experience changed my life.  Not only did I learn so much and make some amazing memories, but my time abroad challenged, developed, and grew me like no other experience ever has.

 I wish every college student could study abroad and if you have ever thought about it but are still hesitant, this blog post is written for you.  Here are my top three pieces of advice for the perspective study abroad student.

#1: Go for it!

Seriously, I cannot recommend studying abroad enough! I have always loved to travel and usually jump at any opportunity to see more of the world, but strangely, studying abroad had never crossed my mind (or if it did, I never considered it seriously).  The first reason I initially shied away from studying abroad was because it meant traveling alone and living in a foreign place—away from the security of home, family, and friends—for months.  The unknowns (would I get really homesick? What if I wanted to come home after a month but was stuck somewhere I didn’t want to be? Would it be safe?) kept me from pursuing it.  I can happily say that those fears were unfounded and while I did experience some homesickness (which is totally natural and not anything to be afraid of), I truly loved my time in England, felt completely safe and welcome there, and was genuinely sad to leave.

#2: Don’t Let Money Matters Stop You

Another big factor that initially scared me away from studying abroad was finances. Buying across-the-world plane tickets, taking months off my job, increased tuition rates (because I was taking online courses with Columbia prior to studying abroad so the tuition was more), and extra expenses that come with traveling and setting up life in a new country all made it seem daunting and non-attainable.  But thanks to one of my professors at Columbia (who encouraged me to apply for scholarships and not be afraid of student loans since it would be worth every penny—and she was right!) I pushed through these concerns and determined to find ways to make a semester abroad a financial possibility.  

                                                                                  By the River Tiber in Rome

If you would love to study abroad but think it sounds impossible because of finances, I would first encourage you to apply for Columbia’s study abroad scholarship, and also, go online and search for other study abroad scholarships since there are many different organizations and programs that award scholarships to students.  Usually you will need to write an essay to enter as an applicant and often the deadlines are several months before the semester, so start your search early and apply for as many as you can.   I was fortunate to receive a couple of scholarships from Columbia which helped ease the financial load immensely.  Ultimately, if you want to study abroad and are committed to proactively looking for tactics to make it financially feasible, you’ll find a way.  

                                                                                                Outside the Colosseum 

#3:  Think of it as Education on Steroids (in other words, you'll learn a lot!)

As I said at the beginning of the post, I learned so much while studying abroad, the least of this being in a classroom setting.  Although I did learn a lot from the classes I took and had some remarkable professors, the adventure of living abroad (classes aside) enriched me and changed me in ways that I had not expected. Traveling alone (not just in the UK but throughout Europe as well) and adapting to different cultures boosted my overall confidence—I realized that I’m a lot more capable than I usually give myself credit for!  Getting lost in Lisbon on a rainy night, dealing with domineering taxi drivers in Italy that don’t speak English, navigating the crazy-crowded subway system in Rome, staying in hostels in London and Lagos, and making friends with people from all over the world are just a few of the many experiences that challenged and grew me. I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything (even the ones that were stressful and a bit scary at the time!) because they helped me become a more confident, compassionate, and complete person.

     Living in England also helped me settle on what I want to do with my life after graduation.  I knew before studying abroad that I wanted to travel in the future somehow, but this experience fueled my desire to not only see as much of the world as I can, but also find a way to incorporate living abroad into my career.  I have decided now to use my English degree, coupled with a TEFL certificate, to teach English abroad one day in the future.

If you’ve thought about studying abroad in the past or are considering it now for the first time, take my advice and go for it—I promise you won’t regret it!