Unlike a brief vacation, studying abroad provides an opportunity to get to know another country up close. Simply showing up, however, doesn’t mean you’ll build your ideal study abroad experience—that takes intentionality.
During my senior year of college, I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. That semester, I achieved fluency in Spanish, built a community of international friends, and felt connected to local culture. Here are my top four tips for planning the ideal study abroad trip rich with a lifetime of memories.
1. Build Your Ideal Study Abroad Experience by Studying the Language
How well you can communicate with locals will determine whether you have a heartfelt cultural experience, or merely visit restaurants. Whatever your current language level, start studying as soon as you’ve chosen your destination. Studying in advance will speed you up in developing the language skills necessary for relationships.
After arriving in-country, increase your amount of focused study time. Along with studying Spanish in class all morning and at home every afternoon, I used bus rides to memorize vocab. One friend boosted his comprehension by listening to Harry Potter in Spanish. Our skills advanced dramatically in just a few months. Those who expected to “pick Spanish up naturally,” however, left Argentina barely able to communicate beyond getting around.
2. Live with a Local Family
Enjoying the hospitality of locals is the best way to go deep into the culture. Sure, dinners may feel awkward if you can’t initially say much beyond “hello” and “bathroom.” Still, you’d be surprised how quickly you’re laughing at inside jokes and sharing about your day.
In addition to initiating relationships you’ll likely keep long term, living with a family gives you a cultural “in.” Your hosts will be eager to share insider insights and advice about your experiences if you just ask.
3. Get Involved
At the end of my semester in Argentina, most of my peers had not made a single local friend. I left with more close relationships than I could count. What made the difference?
Most of the Americans in my program lived together in a dorm-type setting. They spent their free time visiting local attractions in insulated, English-speaking groups. Conversely, living with a local family meant my American housemates were equally intentional about getting to know Argentinians. Instead of isolating ourselves from intimidating experiences by staying within an American bubble, we teamed up to meet people together. We didn’t merely hit up cool venues (the tourist’s approach) but rather prioritized activities that centered around local friends.
While in Argentina, I joined a local church, volunteered weekly for a children’s program in an under-resourced neighborhood, befriended my Taiwanese-Argentinian launderer’s family and taught their daughter English twice a week, and took an art class at a community center. Each opportunity opened doors to new relationships and invitations to come over for dinner or go on a picnic. I also proactively invited the people I met to activities, like suggesting a multicultural Thanksgiving dinner with my launderer’s family and a few American friends.
4. Choose a Location with Lots to Do
As the second-largest city in South America, Buenos Aires had a lot to offer. In five months’ time, I never ran out of new neighborhoods, venues, and parks to check out. This gave me the perfect balance between establishing consistency within ongoing relationships and experiencing adventure every week.
Since I was on a tight budget, I chose a program that included a few prepaid excursions. A weekend at Iguazu Falls and an afternoon in Uruguay gave me incredible glimpses of the world beyond Buenos Aires.
If possible, plan your own weekend trips to surrounding regions. Choose a strategic location where you can go deep locally while checking out nearby cities or countries that interest you.
Build Your Ideal Study Abroad Experience
The best life only comes via careful thought and intensive planning. The same is true of maximizing your study abroad experience. Do lots of reading before choosing a program. Then spend a semester researching your location as you strategically design your dream trip. Chances are, you’ll never do this again, so make it a major life event. Hey, people spend six months (or more!) planning a one-day wedding. It’s okay to invest a little time into getting excited about the country you can’t wait to explore.
My last tip? Be brave. Once you’re there, plunge into every opportunity, even if you look silly. Let the locals laugh at your grammar; it’s okay. You’ll be laughing, too, as you picnic on a skyscraper roof at night or try your hand at cooking octopus.
This is life: unpredictable, unrefined, rushing past you in a blaze of streets and strangers. You either jump into the beauty, or you hang back, afraid.
So get out there. Lose your way in the city; find your place in the light.
-Sarah
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