Hi, my name is Mia, and I am currently in my third year studying Modern Languages and Cultures (MLAC) here at Durham. As part of my degree, I am in Italy for 8 months working as an English Language Assistant (ELA). In this blog, I want to share some of my ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for studying abroad.
DO join Erasmus groups
Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a non-profit international student organisation often present in student cities around Europe. Despite deciding to work and not study on my year abroad, I am still technically a student and so I could join WhatsApp and Facebook chats for Erasmus students. This helped me to make friends and find the person I eventually decided to move in with, so it was extremely handy for me to participate in this.
DO keep in contact with home
A Year Abroad can be many students’ first experience of living in a different country to their family and friends. One thing that I found worsened my homesickness, when I did experience it, was being out of contact with my family and friends both from home and those also on their year abroad. It sounds obvious, but when you are catapulted into this new world sometimes you can forget, or feel too busy, to keep in contact with home. However, I like to facetime my parents regularly to see what is going on back home which allows me to still feel involved in the family, even from afar.
DO say YES!
When I was on my one-way flight to Naples, back in October, I ended up, by coincidence, sat next to a woman who had completed her own year abroad many years ago. Her biggest piece of advice for me was to say yes to as much as I possibly could. Every adventure is an experience, a story, and a memory to last a lifetime and so, even when I am feeling more reserved than normal, I like to push myself out of my comfort zone, as this is such a unique experience that I do not want to waste any opportunity that I am given.
DO travel if you can
Wherever you are on your year abroad, there is a chance that you may not return to live permanently in that country again. Therefore, I really recommend travelling around it as much as possible. Traveling can be expensive if you are not working, however, try looking for day trips or more budget-friendly options such as Flixbus, which will allow you to still experience a new city without spending your entire student loan to get there! One of my friends is coming to visit me in Naples from Sicily for only €10 return, thanks to Flixbus!
Do keep a travel journal
This is something that I, personally, love doing. I was gifted a travel journal before I came to Italy, and it is something that I use often! Every day of your year abroad will likely have a moment that you want to keep on paper forever, no matter how small it may seem. I know that in years to come I will read mine and remember so many small details about my year abroad that I have forgotten.
Don’t pack everything
We all do this! I did this. However, your year abroad is not on a remote desert island. It is likely in a city or town where there are, not-so surprisingly, plenty of shops to buy half of what you think you need pack. Research your area before you go and really decide what items are valuable home-comforts and which ones will not be worth the extra room in your suitcase.
Don’t stay in your comfort zone
Use your year abroad to immerse yourself in a new language and culture. I challenge myself to speak, read and listen to as much Italian as I possibly can whilst I am here, and it really pays off and makes me appreciate the true beauty of this experience.
Don’t put pressure on yourself to enjoy every second
When you are abroad, you will probably see many of your friends posting about their own experiences or saying things like ‘this is the best experience of my life’, ‘I am enjoying every second of it!’. Again, we can all be guilty of it; however, it is always worth remembering that you only ever see snippets of somebody else’s experience, of which they choose to share. You will realistically not enjoy every single second because a year abroad will be challenging, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to feel that way. There will likely be amazing moments, stressful moments, moments in which you may want to return home or moments in which you wish to stay abroad forever. The only certainty is that all these moments will be unique to your year abroad experience which will be completely different to anyone else’s.
Don’t rush into finding accommodation
As university students, we know that finding accommodation in England can be hard, let alone in a foreign country. Take your time. If you are in a position where you can stay in an Airbnb for a few days before you move into a permanent place, then do it. Meet the landlord(s), view the place and if you feel worried, then seek support from your year abroad supervisor, but absolutely do not feel pressured into signing the first place that comes available.
Discover more
Feeling inspired? Visit our School of Modern Languages and Cultures webpages to learn more about our postgraduate and undergraduate programmes.
Follow our team of student content creators at The Durham Student on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube
Create your own personalised prospectus here
