Student Bloggers

• 1. You will get homesick.

It is early March and even though I Facetime my mother frequently and keep in touch with family and friends through my various social media accounts and the occasional hand written letter, I miss the comfort and familiarity of home.

Homesickness is inevitable, but you have to be able to get yourself through it. If you are constantly thinking about your home and your life in the states rather than living and experiencing your time abroad, then you need to find something that anchors you to your host country. This anchor can be anything. For me, it is walking to Aberdeen Beach and seeing the ocean. Having grown in a landlocked town in rural Texas, the nearest ocean was a good eight hours away. Getting to see the ocean on a regular basis is something that is specific to my experience in Scotland and all my walks along the beach help anchor me in the moment and draw me out of my homesickness.

• 2. It is okay to be alone.

At first I felt pressured to socialize with a bunch of people mainly due to me being alone in a foreign country. I willfully socialized and I met some interesting characters from all over Europe and the Americas. I like to hear their stories and their opinions. I also talk with people and have some acquaintances in the tutorials that I am in. I do not regret talking with or meeting these people because they give me familiar faces to say hello to now and again.

But, in social situations that require some sort of planning, such as the many day trips that I take, I am a people pleaser. I feel like I have to constantly ensure that everyone around me is having a good time even when I feel like my social anxiety is going to eat me alive. This hinders my overall experience, and I have found that when I take little day trips, I enjoy it more and get more out of the experience when I am alone. I have gone on a few of both types of trips: in groups and solo. But, after my first day trip alone and having to navigate the possible complications that may arise, I realized that I had a better time than I did when I was with a group.

Most of my day trips are to historical places with castles or old church ruins, and occasionally I even go on nature hikes. Being able to go on these excursions is one of the perks of studying abroad in Scotland. Being alone on these day trips gives me the opportunity to really bask in the history or the natural beauty of the place. Being able to explore these places alone allows me to feel connected to the world on a deeper level without having to constantly check on my companions.

This is a major lesson that I have learned because I feel like there is a stigma that exists about doing things alone. But, being able to do meager things like going on walks, seeing a movie, and even eating alone gives you the ability to explore who you really are. I have gained this independence and freedom to go out and do whatever my heart desires without having any constraints.

• 3. Bring an extra pair of shoes.

You can choose to stay in the city which has a lot of stuff to do ranging from museums to site seeing and good pubs or you can explore the great outdoors and experience the magnificent views first hand. Personally, I’d choose the latter any day. The only down fall is mud is literally everywhere. All the time

Luckily I brought two pairs of boots with me, and I have dedicated one specifically for my nature walks. In this pair, I have stepped in and on all sorts of stuff: mud, sand, water, a road made of shell, and other natural things that are not great to specifically mention. Some of the best hikes I have had are off the beaten path down these trails.

My advice for everyone is that if you intend on truly experiencing the natural world around you then be prepared to get dirty and make sure you have comfortable and appropriate shoes.

• 4. Adaptability is key.

I like to plan things out because it gives me comfort to know that I have a plan in place that I can follow. This includes scheduling trains, buses, how long it takes me to get from point A to B and the ideal method to get there. It also includes having some sort of general idea of what I want to do.  

But, I have learned, after many personal experiences, that not everything is going to go according to plan. Plans are good, but when something falls through, the ability to think of plan B, C, D, thru Z on the spot is a great skill to have and or acquire. You have to be willing to go with the flow and make the best of any situation and always have extra cash on hand just in case you need to catch a bus or cab last minute.

Reference my blogpost: Change of Plans for further explanation and keep eye out for another blogpost sometime in the future that also explains this point. ;)

• 5. The sun is a rare and pleasant sight.

Ah, the sun. The marvelous ball of gas on fire in outer space that controls the possibility of life on our dear planet. Thank you, dear sun, for shining ever so brightly and giving life to Earth.

 I originally wrote this point a week ago when we had a sunny day for the first time in over a week.  I was on the verge of just laying down in the sunlight like a cat. As you may have already realized, this lesson is generalized specifically for Scotland. It is a reminder that the Sun is fantastic and much needed for various reasons. The other types of weather are fun and all, but eventually perpetually cloudy skies effect your mood and make staying in seem better than going out. So, when there is a rare sunny day, everyone in Scotland seems to attempt to make the best of it by going outdoors and walking around trying to get all the Vitamin D they can.

• 6. This is your experience, no one else’s, so do your thing.

It is okay to try new things and go out of your comfort zone, but if you really do not want to do something, then do not do it.

I feel like when you are part of any social situation, the pressure to do things that everyone else is doing is high. But you have to remember that this is your study abroad experience not someone else’s, so do what makes you happy. If you are happier staying in and watching Netflix for the night, do it. If you’d prefer going out, do it.

Make the best of anything you choose to do. Risks are fun and all, but your own personal safety and happiness should be more important than having a socially defined “good time”.

• 7. Studying should be a top priority.

Being a college student, I would classify myself as an academic because learning is something that I love doing. But, I went from a structured twenty hours of class time a week to meeting only a meager five hours a week.

This vast difference between required class time in Scotland compared to the United States has been a shock to my system. So, I have had to learn how to manage all my free time.

This free time originally gave me time to rest and recuperate after my last grueling semester, were I had predominately writing courses and had to deal with a broken arm on top of it all. But, this recovery time ended months ago and I have caught myself slacking.

I am constantly having to remind myself to get busy, do the readings, do not put off your assignments, etc. It is difficult. I am on top of everything, despite my freedom to not have to do a lot. But, it makes me miss my busy schedule that I had back at Arcadia. 

These are seven lessons I have learned so far while studying abroad in no particular order other than how they came to me. They are from my own experience thus far so far here in Scotland and are not necessarily relevant to everyone’s experience.

Overall, I am loving my time here and am learning so much about; Scotland, the classes that I am taking, and most importantly myself. 

Cheers and Best Wishes to All!