Post Secret-Study Abroad Edition 1

I have decided that instead of sending 30+ emails addressing all of your fears, I will post them on here. This will help in several ways: 1. You will all be able to see others' fears that maybe you have not thought about and my answers to them. 2. You will be answered quicker, especially since some of the fears were the same. 3. You now know about my blog and can read through it and learn more than I can say in this one blog post.
I have promised you that I would try to answer your concerns to the best of my ability and that I will do. If, for some reason, I cannot answer them, I will direct you to resources and people that can. Deal?

Now let's answer some secrets!

-Being able to pay for study abroad.

This is an extremely common concern, and one that I struggled with myself. Until recently, my mom had been single my entire life and paying for school in general is difficult. What I ended up doing was applying for every scholarship I could find (there are specific ones for study abroad!), working 2 jobs and saving money, and using loans to finance my trip. Scholarships are a fantastic way to finance your study abroad and you can find so much helpful information and links on the study abroad website. Here's a link!

-How to relate it to my major.

My major was Spanish so it was not difficult for me to relate mine, obviously. Without knowing your major it is difficult for me to answer this question. I also am not as well informed on what kinds of classes are offered as the study abroad advisor is. I would love to direct you to Ms. Julie Beall-Marshall who is an absolutely wonderful resource and is full of all kinds of knowledge about study abroad.

-I'm worried about being dropped somewhere that I don't know anyone/ I am scared that I won't meet people that I mesh with quickly enough while abroad.

I was worried too! I am a girl that is scared of meeting new people, going anywhere alone, and especially making friends. I promise you that there are other people in the exact same situation and since no one knows anyone, you become close friends quickly. Some of the best people I've ever met live in Buenos Aires and I am still in contact with them months later and hope to be for the rest of my life. It is absolutely worth it to put yourself out of your comfort zone. You can do it!

-I fear that I may not understand the language and get lost/I'm so afraid I'm going to get lost.

You know what? Even knowing the language, you will get lost. You will get lost and be scared, and then you will realize that you have to suck it up and find your way. You will learn where NOT to go, which turns NOT to take, and you will discover that you are a lot better at navigating than you thought. You will come back with a better sense of confidence than you ever had and you will be thankful that you got lost and proud that you "found" yourself. People are also a lot nicer than you think and they will be happy to help you if you will only just ask.

-What if I get bored? How exactly do I spend my time abroad?

Well first, I can tell you that a lot of your time is spent in school. BUT! The study abroad programs also have fun excursions and events and all kinds of lists of things to do in your free time. The excursions were included in my program fee and I learned a lot from them. It was also nice because they were led by someone who knows the area well so I did not have to worry about finding my way. No matter where you go, there is always a lot to see and places to go and people to meet. Also, I found a park near my house and if I got bored I'd go running, which is not something I generally had time for at home since I work and go to school.

-Not getting to see all I want to see.

This is a very accurate fear and I understand this completely because I was only gone for 2 months. At the beginning I wasn't sure I could even be gone for that long, and now that I came back I wish I had stayed longer. My best advice for this is to go for at least a semester, if not a year. If you do not have room in your schedule for that, you can always go back and visit the friends you made there..which is what I'm going to do.

-The language barrier.

Good news! There are programs in primarily english speaking countries. If languages do not interest you or you have never had time to fit them into your schedule, you don't have to choose an extremely foreign country. There are also many countries that speak english as well as their native language and there will be signs in english. Speak with Julie Beall-Marshall in the study abroad office or click here and follow the links on the right side to learn more.

-Not being able to come back home when I get there.

You will absolutely be able to come back home, the question really is if you will want to. If you end up not wanting to come back, then don't. My personal belief is that if something is supposed to happen and you feel like you are drawn to do it, what is there to stop you except yourself? You can and SHOULD make it happen.

-I'm scared my host family will kill me.

Host families are screened very thoroughly by the programs before they are allowed to take foreigners into their home. My host mom was the most understanding and sweetest person and we got along well. Most everyone I talked to had a very similar experience because the programs do a great job of finding the right fit for you. If you are still afraid, you may opt to stay in a dorm or apartment with other American students.

-I fear that currency rates would make things really expensive.

Depending on where you are wanting to go, this may or may not happen. My best advice is to research several places you'd like to go, look up currency rates, and decide if it is worth it. I opted for Argentina instead of Spain because the exchange rate was better and the daily living costs were less. If you are set on a place that has high currency rates, try to save as much money as you can and try not to buy too many snacks or things you don't need while you're there.

-Are there other SIUe/American students there too?

YES! I met people that were in my program and went to my school from all over the country and really enjoyed comparing our lives in each of our states. There are also faculty led programs that include groups of SIUe students being taught by an SIUe professor. I would point you in the direction of Julie Beall-Marshall in the study abroad office for more information about these programs.

-A civil war will break out and I will be stuck in the country.

There are American Embassies all over the world whose job it is to keep you safe while you are out of the country. If there is ever an issue with the government or an invasion or anything like that, make sure you register that you are going out of the country and give them contact information and they will make sure you get home safely.

-I'm scared I'll be kidnapped like in Taken.

Many students fear for their safety when thinking about going out of the country. The key is that you have to be SMART about your choices, just like you hopefully are here, but more so. If I remember correctly, the girls in Taken randomly met some guy and decided to tell him exactly where they were staying and that they were alone. I feel like these girls were ASKING to be taken. You also have to keep in mind that this is a movie and they are trying to create excitement and anxiety, therefore they exaggerate and make it seem worse than it really is. That being said, you have to be careful where you go and who you go there with. Never invite someone in when you're alone, never go out late at night by yourself, never carry your passport around with you, never wander the streets drunkenly talking to strangers....just use common sense and you will not be taken.

Study Abroad Speech

Hey guys! I decided to post another blog because I've realized that my study abroad experience still has not ended even though the trip is over. Today I gave a speech to freshman students in a music 111 class at school about studying abroad. I could not believe how much excitement and interest there was from the students! They genuinely were thinking about studying abroad..which just made me all the more excited about my experience and the study abroad fair that is coming up on Oct 16th. I hope there will be students that come to my booth and make Post Secrets about study abroad. I don't want my service project to be a big flop :/ (That's a hint for anyone reading to come to my booth and make some secrets!)

I miss Argentina and my friends there, I miss speaking Spanish every day, and I even miss all the dog poop that was on the sidewalks because that meant that I could see so many cute little dogs every day. Originally there was a time when I thought, " what if I don't even end up happy that I did this?" Now I just want to laugh at myself for even thinking that. I had an amazing experience and I have changed so much for the better from it. GO STUDY ABROAD!!!! :)

xoxoxo
Allie