Living abroad is – without a shadow of a doubt – the most extraordinary and exciting year of university life. Yet like most things in this world, it certainly doesn’t come without its fair share of bumps in the road, as everything you ever thought you knew about how foreign life would be is flipped on its head in a mere matter of weeks. A pinch of honesty and realism to help manage your expectations before jetting abroad will go a long way, so, let’s debunk some of the biggest myths surrounding student life abroad, fresh from a final year language student in the know, who’s just landed back from a year abroad.
'... all those tough moments will feel minuscule compared to the amount you’ll grow as a person whilst away...'
As I gazed out of the window on my plane ride from northern Portugal to southern Spain, I remember finding myself busy conjuring up idyllic images of mouth-watering tapas dishes and freshly fried churros, so good that for a mere moment I forgot that Yorkshire puddings and fish and chips even existed.
But do not be deceived… Whilst most the foods you’ll taste test your way through will be more heavenly than you could ever have imagined, you’ll be brought straight back down to Earth by strange specialities that will completely throw you out of your comfort zone. Whilst I choose to remember the endless selection of sweet Portuguese treats on offer in Porto’s many bakeries, it was hard to hide my horror when I was recommended rogue regional delicacies from cow’s intestines to bird blood rice and boiled animal bone broth, which I can only imagine would have been pretty hard to stomach, if you’ll pardon the pun…
Don’t get me wrong, food is definitely the most fun and tasty part of getting to know an entirely new culture during life abroad, but just remember, there’ll always be the odd dish that they purposely don’t show you in those “finding yourself” travel films and that you’ll be extremely reluctant to try. One bite will have you missing chips and curry sauce at Tynemouth quicker than you can say cow’s intestines, just mark my words…
2. Everywhere will be cheaper than the UK
It’s no secret that plenty of Brits head for life abroad in a bid to trade the inflated prices at home for ice cold beers and fresh coffee in the southern Spanish sun at an equally attractive price. Whilst it might be true, daily living costs abroad often don’t make your bank account want to cry as much as they might do in the UK, try not to be naive and ignore the extra costs you’ll have to budget for when paving a new life for yourself abroad. Visas certainly aren’t cheap to come by, especially in the aftermath of Brexit, and once you finally set foot abroad, the idea of travelling to a new corner of the country each week will become even more appealing, yet unfortunately, come with a pretty hefty price tag. That’s not to say you can’t and shouldn’t enjoy food, travel and all the extra expenses that come with living abroad, but definitely don’t use moving overseas as an easy way to escape the painful prices that follow you around at home, as that’s definitely not the case!
3. Great friends will be quick and easy to come by
During my year of living abroad, I made friends with some of the most fun, interesting, kind, and like-minded people I’ve ever met in my life, who I absolutely know will remain my closest friends for the rest of my days. Yet, whilst I feel extremely lucky to have found them, there’s absolutely no denying that life abroad can be incredibly lonely at times. Often, it takes more effort and time to make good-quality friends in another country, and sometimes, you have to really put yourself out there at first and meet lots of different people who might not be quite your cup of tea before you do find your tribe. But trust me, whilst finding friends might not feel like a breeze at first, when you find the right folk, you’ll see that its definitely well worth it!
4. You’ll be fluent in no time
When we think about living abroad, we picture dropping all of our ties to the English language to blend in with locals and talk like a native, yet sadly, things can be quite different! In reality, moving to a completely new country and juggling the pressure of meeting people, fitting in and using a second language, all whilst trying to put your happiness first, is a pretty daunting and hefty challenge, so sometimes, language learning is forced to take a back seat.
That said, once you’ve become more settled and accustomed to life abroad, you’ll gradually notice yourself picking up and using that second language in a completely new and natural way, which makes for a refreshing change from hopelessly trying to memorise conjugations and grammar rules in GCSE French!
Being thrown in the deep end and having no choice but to make mistakes and put yourself out there in order to improve your language skills really does test your confidence and force you out of your shell. But, it’s all worth it, as there really is no better feeling than the satisfaction you’ll get from spontaneously chatting with locals and discovering an entirely new spoken world!
5. It’ll be just like how I imagined
Thanks to glamourised Instagram posts and romanticised film plots, we’ve all got a certain idea in our heads of how we imagine our own life abroad will be. Yet, if there’s one stereotype I want to bust, it’s that it won’t be at all like how you’re imaging… it’ll be better.
Life abroad will be better because you’ll make it your very own, and shape it with your own milestones, mates and memories, that, together, will make for a truly magical and unforgettable year. Yes, it’ll be exhausting, scary, and at times, you’ll feel overwhelmed by the smallest of things that remind you you’re in a foreign country that’s pretty far from home. Nevertheless, all those tough moments will feel minuscule compared to the amount you’ll grow as a person whilst away, as well as how many memories you’ll make and how in awe you’ll become each day of the awesome town, city or country that you’re lucky enough to call home.