Studying abroad is something you should consider doing at some point in your life.

Being an exchange student is like starting a new life, everything is new and you decide how to make it work. You experience a lot of different feelings, it can be hard, of course, but that doesn’t mean it won’t bring a ton of positives aspects in your life.

Learning a new language and being surrounded by people who you can barely understand can be frightening at first, but it’s actually easier than you think to pick up the language and be able to understand people just within a month. The speaking, in my opinion, is the hardest part but it’s so gratifying to see yourself improve your speaking skills every day. You will learn something new every day and by the end of the year, you are probably going to become fluent which is going to bring a lot of opportunities in your future.

Based on my experience, you go through a lot of different phases during your year or whatever time period that you are studying abroad. Most people would think that the first month is going to be the hardest one for you, but it’s actually not. On your first month, you are so excited and emerged in a completely new culture that you don’t even have time to think about home. You start noticing about all the things that are different from where you come from, you experience a cultural shock. That doesn’t mean you are not going to like it but you might be surprised by a lot of things that you didn’t even know about.

Of course, during your year you are going to have bad days and you are going to be homesick but all the good times you are going to live in this new experience are worth it.

Making friends is the most important and exciting part, I think. When you start meeting new people a ton of opportunities to get even more involved into the culture come to you. Before you go studying abroad you would never imagine you were going to make really good friends that you can probably stay in touch with your whole life. At the beginning of the year you are going to be sad that you are going to be far from your friends in your home country and by the end of your year studying abroad you are going to be as sad or even more that you are saying goodbye to all the new friends you have made during your time abroad.

I think studying abroad is a great opportunity that I would definitely recommend, so if you ever have this opportunity, take it.