Hello everyone! My name is Sophie Stallings, and I am studying abroad this summer for 6 weeks in Barcelona. I have been here for almost 2 weeks, and I wanted to give you all some advice to prepare yourself to go abroad! While preparing to go abroad, you will probably feel a wide variety of feelings… excited, nervous, anxious, ecstatic, and more! All these feelings are completely normal. If you prepare for your trip ahead of time, then you will be much more comfortable on your journey to where you are studying abroad! My top advice is to research the country you are visiting and learn about the culture there. Each place has different ways to do things, and you will quickly realize what you may think is “normal” is not the norm everywhere. If you prepare for this, you will be able to quickly adapt to the new culture. My other piece of advice is to research videos about the most helpful things to bring abroad with you. Some of the items I brought that have really helped my trip is a water bottle, comfortable walking shoes, clothing that matches the weather here, sunscreen, and a portable fan! It can get very hot in certain places, and you will most likely be walking a lot, so be prepared! Lastly, be open to new ideas and ways of doing things. Study abroad is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in a new countries’ culture. There is so much to learn and so many things to see and do. Just make the most of it and have fun! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!
