Lessons Abroad: What to Consider Before Leaving the Country
Emma Hoppough
Despite my insistence that I still live near fresh baguettes and waves so salty they could cause hypertension, I type this after returning from my month-long stay in France. As a student in the UC Davis program “Art Studio in Paris and the French Riviera,” I traveled with twenty creative strangers to visit museums, paint and sketch throughout the land of buttered pastries. The trip moved quickly, but it taught me many lessons about traveling itself. So what did I learn about studying abroad? Look below to find out.
1) Money, Money, Money
To quote everyone’s favorite ‘70’s Swedish pop sensation ABBA: “Aha, all the things I could do/if I had a little money./ It’s a rich man’s world.”
Before you seriously consider traveling abroad, you should also assess the cost of the experience you’re envisioning. Financial aid exists—in fact, I was pleasantly surprised when I received a generous scholarship for my program—but flights alone often cost big bucks. If you imagine weeks of fine dining and adventurous day trips in a country with higher-valued currency, remember whose wallet pays for those activities.
What did I learn? While it’s absolutely possible to find inexpensive food and fun (and actually, the entirely free view from Sacre Coeur Cathedral was my favorite in Paris), you might need to prepare for a pricey—yet priceless—adventure.
2) Back to Basics (Pack the Basics)
As a girl who once stuffed 49 pounds of clothes into a suitcase for winter break, I urge thee: pack lightly. Picture yourself navigating narrow trains, crowded subways, and labyrinthian airports in new environments—now add 80 percent humidity and 30-plus pounds of luggage digging into your shoulders. Even though I crammed my life into just one large backpack and tote for this trip, every item lost significance with each second that I dragged it behind me.
What did I learn? Stores exist everywhere; it’s unlikely that you’ll miss the lotion and tank top you “kind of want to bring”—and you’ll be too distracted to notice their absence. Instead, carry no more than seven days of clothes, forget large electronics unless your assignments require them, and think of travel-sized toiletries as replaceable blessings. Happy packing!
3) Research is Good, but Surprises are Better
Question: what do the following activities have in common? 1. Sitting below the Eiffel Tower for Bastille Day fireworks; 2. riding a giant banana-shaped inner tube along the French Riviera; 3. gasping for air in the hottest steam room known to man. Answer: I, a notorious planner, had not foreseen any of these moments—and they highlighted my trip.
I’m thankful that I researched basic cultural cues and logistical information, but I found that entirely structured days became exercises in time management rather than fun. I don’t regret my panicked week of preparation before leaving home, but I’m seeing the value in resting my uptight brain.
What did I learn? If you can find a happy medium between clueless wandering and forced itineraries, settle in that spot! You will thank yourself later.
4) Bad Moods Don’t Take Vacations
I know, it sounds cynical to take a potentially inspiring post and write, “happiness is fleeting!!” before vanishing back into my computer cave. However, while traveling brings weeks of excitement and awe, you will only let yourself down if you feel obligated to maintain a brochure-worthy smile throughout every moment. Like any human, you will probably feel tired, hungry, agitated, or even lonely—and that’s just part of the journey.
What did I learn? Don’t feel guilty if you have a bad day, but smile when you can. Laughter pushed my group through lost luggage, dozens of mosquito bites, hours-long train delays, and a futile journey for cheesecake. So although it’s unfair to expect pure delight from your program, you do have the power to make the most of every situations, and plenty of people to help.
5) Goodbye, Wifi (Bonjour, the Present Moment!)
Remember the technological days of yore when internet access didn’t control our phones and lives? If you study abroad, you might see the freedom (and occasional panic) of owning a cell phone that only makes calls.
Even if you hit the Free Wifi Jackpot in your country of choice, new time zones and non-American websites will make communication and web surfing that much harder. Why not take advantage of momentary disconnection? When I had time to scroll through friends’ updates and photos, I would just waste energy feeling as if I were missing out on other experiences, briefly forgetting the wonder of my own.
What did I learn? Your phone will help you to check in with loved ones and to navigate new cities, but try to connect with your classmates and surroundings before you connect to wifi.
6) Yes You’re Abroad, but You Still Need to Study
Ah, yes, the romanticized vision of life in a foreign country with beautiful people and zero responsibilities….
With new distractions, you might forget that education sits at the heart of every study abroad program. Some programs create more structured environments than others: while my days were somewhat freeform given that they focused on studio art, other programs require substantial reading, writing, and exams—yes, even if you can see the Panthèon from your window as you work.
What did I learn? If you go abroad with your GPA in mind, then remember that non-educational excitement must sometimes sit on the back burner. Enter your trip knowing what classwork to expect so that you can prepare for both work and play.
Emma Hoppough is a fourth-year English major at UC Davis. When not studying literature, she attends classes in studio art and professional writing.
