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As a former exchange student, I can certainly certify that living a year abroad is certainly not the easiest thing to do. You need to keep an open and flexible mind, and be prepared to adapt to new and different situations. However, every exchange or Erasmus student will tell you the same thing: it’s definitely worth it. Every hard day, every difficult moment, every obstacle you overcome, helps you grow a little more.
Here are some of the advantages of doing a school year abroad, or a similar experience in your formative years:
You can re-invent yourself. If you find yourself in a new school, amongst people who have never heard of you, you could potentially be whoever you want to be. You can decide how to present yourself and how to impost your new life.
You have two different lives. As an exchange student, I was living in a host family. For me, it meant having two families that were equally important for me. It meant having two lives, two groups of friends, which implied different inside jokes, different habits, different hobbies, two different homes. If you truly experience everything and let yourself in the mindset of your new country, you will enrich yourself of a new culture.
You have friends all over the world. In fact, most often than not, you make friends not only from the place you live but you find other exchange students that can understand the phases you’re going through. The perks of knowing people abroad are endless: they can help you practice your language skills, help you conform to the norms of the country, help you with the pop culture (which is always important). Having international friends also means that you would be able to visit them at a much lower cost!
You open your mind. During a year abroad, as previously stated, you will have to deal with situations or have to do things you never even imagined. Things that may seem strange to you at the start, start to feel incredibly normal and routine. You realize that there is no right or wrong way to do things, just different ways.
You start thinking in a new language. The feeling you get when you realize that you’re fluent enough in two languages to think in both interchangeably is ineffable. Knowing more than one language is something that you will find useful for the rest of your life, it can help you break so many barriers that would otherwise be insurmountable.
But, most importantly, living abroad is always synonym of personal development. Being able to live an entire year on your own, away from all your usual friends and from your parents, speaking a different language and adapting to new habits undoubtedly changes you. Being an exchange student is often an emotional rollercoaster – but, as they say, something only helps you grow if it challenges you.
