Mentor Advice
Question
What emotions did you feel once arriving in your study abroad country?
5 Replies from Mentors
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Rae RaeSenior Year StudentLoyola Marymount UniversityI have studied abroad two times and was overcome with extreme joy each time, to be honest. I had to go through a lot of struggles to be able to go to London and finally arriving felt like such a relief. But you will go through a lot of emotions good and bad while you are abroad. Most likely, when you first get there and for a while afterward, you’ll go through a honeymoon phase where you think everything is perfect. Then reality starts to sink in and you might get homesick and start to see the flaws of your host country. You might even start to dislike your country during this phase. By the end though, you will have gained a life-changing experience and you probably wouldn’t trade it for the world.
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DaphneGraduate AdvisorStudent Government at North Carolina State UniversityWhen I arrived in Scotland, I felt like a minority...and this feeling was completely opposite when I arrived in Ghana, West Africa. The one thing that was of concern to me was keeping up my passport and making sure that my phone card worked so that I could talk to loved ones. I was completely confident that the program coordinators would make every effort to ensure my safety, and that people in both countries would be very hospitable and polite.
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DestineeJunior Year StudentUniversity of California, Los AngelesI felt a whole mixture of emotions once I arrived in Italy. I was primarily excited and happy but was also scared and nervous (but I tried really hard not to let the fear show). I had never been to Europe before I went on this trip and I did not know what to expect. When I finally at my apartment and met my seven (yes, seven) roommates it was a relief to know they were all experiencing the same feelings.
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IsabelJunior Year StudentLoyola Marymount UniversityWell, apart from being incredibly jet lagged and tired from the sixteen-hour flight and nine-hour time difference, I was excited and nervous when I landed in Madrid, Spain. I was excited because I knew it was the start of an incredible experience and adventure. However, I was nervous because everything was so new and I was about to live with a family who were complete strangers to me. I was worried if we would get along and if they would like me. However, those feelings of nervousness soon went away and I began to look forward to planning trips around Europe and exploring Madrid.
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JessicaGraduate StudentLoyola Marymount UniversitySo many emotions surfaced as I reached my destination country! Primarily, I felt simultaneously estatic and nervous about learning in a completely new environment. It's important to maintain a perspective that it's normal to feel uncomfortable at times to enjoy the unknown.