The DON’Ts of Study Abroad
By Grace Carballo ‘17
There’s a lot of different reasons to study abroad but one of the most common, and important, is to learn about a culture different than your own. I’ve learned first hand how challenging this can be- to embrace the unfamiliar, to accept my own cluelessness, to depend on strangers, to laugh at my mistakes, and keep on putting myself out there be it conjugating verbs or trying to use slang words correctly.
The point is to immerse yourself, as fully as possible, while recognizing that you are still a guest and an outsider and will never fully understand what it’s like to be in the shoes of those in your host country. With this mindset now established, I’ve created 7 things to ABSOLUTELY avoid doing while studying abroad.
1) Chanting “U.S.A.!”
Unless you’re at the World Cup or the Olympics there’s never an occasion to do a U.S.A. chant in another country. It’s only going to confirm preconceived notions other people may have about the “Ugly American” stereotype. Think of yourself as an ambassador if that helps you control your patriotic impulses- what sort of image of the U.S. do you want to project to those who may not have traveled there or met many Americans.
Side note- I was surprised by how much the people I met in Spain and Nicaragua knew about U.S. politics, especially compared to how little I knew about their respective governments prior to starting my classes. Be sure to know a little about your host country for some talking points and a lot about the U.S. current political climate- with the upcoming elections you will likely meet a lot of knowledgeable people looking to discuss.
2) Flashing your wealth
My host mom in Nicaragua chastised me for fumbling around with an envelope of cash- my stipend money for a month of research- in front of the hotel manager as I was checking in. After that, I made sure I had my money easily accessible and secure.
The same applies to iPhones and purses and cameras and anything you care about that also could fetch a pretty penny if stolen and sold. Like you should when you’re in the U.S., you just have to be mindful of your surroundings. There’s nothing worse than that sinking feeling of getting on a crowded bus with your wallet and exiting with an empty back pocket and not the slightest inkling of whodunnit.
3) Forgetting to check in with your parents
This goes for host parents and biological parents- I’ve seen it all go down and it ain’t pretty. My phone died in Spain and I didn’t check in with the people that gave me life and they flipped their lids. Long story short, they got my Spanish-speaking uncle in Mexico to call my host mom in Madrid and pretend he was my dad to ask where I was but she knew my dad couldn’t speak Spanish so was very creeped out and then when I got ahold of them I assumed it was an emergency, not just their overactive obsession with me, and got very teary picturing one of my precious elderly loved ones dead and gone. This could have been avoided if I had charged my phone and fulfilled my end of “some form of contact at least every 24 hours”. When I went to Cuba this fall I just informed them this wouldn’t be possible please, please do not call the embassy.
For host parents- a friend of mine had a wild night and ended up just staying over with a friend who lived closer to the club they had gone to. She did not contact her host mother prior to this decision and the poor woman spent all night awake with worry, trying to contact academic directors and friends, all the while fearing the worst- the death of a foreign child she was responsible for.
Parents are parents and they will worry about you if they don’t hear from you.
4) Trying large amounts of a new food before a travel day
Unless you find the confines of an airplane/bus bathroom pleasant, I recommend eating like a bird the day prior and the day of long travel. It’s always cool to try new things, but it’s even cooler to travel somewhat comfortably.
Two of my friends had very memorable flights from Cuba to San Salvador, but memorable in the way that a particularly traumatic nightmare is memorable.
Traveler’s diarrhea is wicked common, so much so that if you find yourself faced with this obstacle, you shouldn’t even feel special. So, with that in mind, the less food in your system, the better. And re-hydration is key!
5) Drinking too much
“Pre-gaming” does not translate to many other languages because it’s pretty unique to us. People in other countries have their own social norms and you should try to follow them. You are in an unfamiliar country, possibly with a different language, you should absolutely not put yourself in a position where you are unable to find your way home or take care of yourself. It’s reckless and dangerous and not in the cool way, like doing tricks on your heelys is.
Don’t get sick in your host fam’s house, don’t put your new friends in a position where they have to take care of you, and definitely don’t put yourself in a position where you might be in danger. That being said, look out for your friends and stick together, of course.
Your host country most likely has a drinking age of 18, rather than our 21, so their country’s concept of drinking is likely more social rather than “party”. Pay attention to that- people who have been drinking wine at family parties since their teens tend not to be people who do shots before arriving at the venue.
Side note- “standard drinks” in the U.S. may not be the same in your host country. Mixed drinks may be considerably stronger and depending where you are, there may not be a measure of what proof it is. So just take it very slow at least the first few times you go out. In Orinoco, I tasted probably a thimbleful of home-distilled whiskey and it burned my lips it was so strong.
6) Sticking only to what you know.
Globalization, man. Odds are good there’s a McDonalds nearby you and maybe even a handful of Starbucks. I’m not saying you should never go there- you might be a little homesick or want to see if McFlurries differ from the local ones or need some solid wifi and a cafe americano, dammit.
(by branching out, my dear pal Mateo found Cafelito, (pictured above) in Madrid which has the best iced coffee you’ll ever taste. I have dreams about it.)
But you should step out of your comfort zone and see what there is to see. As a gluten-free vegetarian with a sensitive stomach, I understand if you have qualms about trying different foods, but if that’s not your thing, try seeing different places. Running is a great way to explore a city. Try different coffee shops or restaurants or bars or museums or parks. Once you finally have established a routine, it’s very tempting to just want to stick with it, but you got to keep pushing yourself because this is an opportunity you may never have again.
Even if your new little siblings don’t want you to, you gotta leave the house sometimes (especially for class).
(The most uncomfortable days of travel involving long, hot bus rides and uncertain times of departures led me to this beautiful view near Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua.)
7) Becoming dependent on wifi.
In Madrid, the instant we had that contraseña (password), you could hear a pin drop because we sure weren’t conversing- at least not with those physically present. I found that when I didn’t have access to wifi, I was anxious at first, but then grew to appreciate and focus on the present moment so much more.
Figure out how much contact you need with those at home because everyone is different. You may find, as I did, that spending too much time on social media actually made me feel really lonely and homesick, which is definitely the opposite of its intent.
Even if you want to ‘gram and tweet everything you see and hear, at least make sure you’re actually seeing things and hearing things and experiencing, not just through your digital world. The real world is even more beautiful #nofilter.
(Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua - left the wifi in our bed & breakfast for the deep blue sea)
May your study abroad experiences be as challenging as they are fulfilling,
Grace Carballo ‘17
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