GirlGI | Girl Gone International GirlGI Issue 3 | Page 48

5 Study Abroad Tips 1 Be Patient People may judge you based on past experiences or media fueled misperceptions of people from your culture. Don’t take it personally, surprise them and be a cultural ambassador for your country. 2 Travel Far and Wide Discovering new places and the serendipitous encounters along the way will create stories you will share with others for a lifetime. 3 Don’t Spend All Your Time in Bars Erasmus (foreign student) groups tend to center their activities around drinking. This creates great opportunities to make new friends, but getting too caught up in weekend drinking binges means you are forfeiting the opportunity to see and do all your new destination has to offer. 4 Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes The biggest obstacle to learning a new language is the fear of making mistakes. Whether your new home has you immersed in a foreign language or not, you can still share some laughs about colloquial differences. Take advantage of the opportunity to practice your language skills and make the effort to find local friends - or a local love interest!