Adjusting and Making the Most of Your Time Abroad
Date
April 6, 2026
I knew when I started college that studying abroad was something I wanted to take advantage of. When it came time to plan and prepare, I found myself more nervous than excited.
I knew that exploring another country for the first time was more important than how scared I was to leave my friends and family for so long, so I followed through with my application and finally made it to Edinburgh!
The first 72 hours were rough. After a full 24 hours of travel, I spent the next 14 hours awake and making my way through Arcadia's orientation. I was nervous, tired, and struggling to keep up as I made my way to different buildings and navigated the city. I missed home much sooner than I anticipated.
I had made it up three flights of stairs with 60 pounds of luggage and unpacked. The first few days were spent exploring with new friends, eating good food, and splurging on souvenirs (which I cherish sooo much). After a few weeks, however, classes started, and I had fewer distractions to keep me from missing my friends back home. What helped me most was getting out of my host city by flying with my friends and attending Arcadia's planned events.
Being in Scotland was my first time out of the country. Despite my excitement to travel and make the most of this opportunity, I knew I wasn’t in a position to spend all my savings. Choosing a program in the UK made it easy and affordable to fly between England, Scotland, and Ireland throughout the semester. After I got settled, my close friend from back home met me in England, and we spent a weekend in Bath together (I’d strongly recommend visiting if you love Jane Austen or classical literature in general)!
My favorite trips, however, were those offered by Arcadia. I recommend signing up early for as many as you want. Spots are very limited, and I talked to many people who regretted not going on at least a few. During my time in Scotland, I took two highland trips, a weekend in Belfast, a day trip around the Scottish Borders, and a ceilidh dance – all of which included housing and transportation! Overall, these trips were super affordable and among my favorite memories from the semester. We had great food, kayaked in the Highland lochs, and experienced old-school Scottish culture.
Before I knew it, it was December, and I was packing up to go home. I cannot believe how fast my time abroad flew by, even though my first few weeks were spent feeling nervous and homesick. I'm proud of how my friends and I overcame those feelings and now have so many stories to tell people back home!
These pieces were created by student contributors. The views and opinions expressed are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Arcadia Abroad.