Dear sophomores,
I remember being in your shoes. Wondering if I too could go abroad. Asking questions like; Will I get homesick? Can I afford this? Will I still have friends when I get back? Is it okay to go alone? Let me try and answer these question and hopefully I can help.
Will I get homesick? Absolutely, you will get homesick. You will have fun but at some point during your trip you will miss home and that is NORMAL. Feeling homesick is not a good enough reason to not go abroad. You can get homesick just by coming to Salve! Trust me when I tell you, it is worth the homesickness. Before I departed to Spain, I thought about how long the time span was and for a quick momment I thought I was not going to go abroad anymore. However, something inside me did not allow that feeling to stop me from pursuing my opportunity. You will make new friends and you can always contact your family and friends from back home. Do yourself a favor if the fear of being homesick is the reason for you not going just apply. That way if you apply and decide not to go then you lose nothing. Opposed to you not applying and then wishing later down the line that you did. You will not be alone and you will have more support than you can envision right now.
Can I afford this? Yes you can! There are so many scholarships out there to help you. All you have to do is apply. In my case, I knew how vital it was to get scholarships, so I applied. As stated in my bio I got the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and the Donaldson Trust Endowed Scholarship. Having their financial support would change my experience. It is because of them that I was able to go explore Europe and even Africa! If I could do one thing in return it is to inform other students who want to go abroad to apply. Go online and search the Gilman Scholarship and see if you qualify. Also make sure to do your research on the Salve Study Abroad page to see if there are any other private scholarships being offered. I know writing essays are stressful, but there are individuals and organizations that want to help you fulfill your dreams. With that being said if you want something bad enough you will work for it.
Will I still have friends when I get back? Trust me you will not miss much and you can always send a message to your friends. Yes, your friends will create their own memories without you, but so will you! Plus your memories will be better. Do not let fear of losing friends stop you from exploring the world. If your relationship with your friends are genuine they will be the same as you left them.
Is it okay to go alone? Yes, you will be fine. I did go alone and I made the best of my trip. Do I think it would be an easier experience going with a friend, yes. If you have arranged to go with a friend or significant other then of course it will be less challenging becuase you have that comfort zone within your friend. However, if you go alone you are truely putting yourself outside of your comfort zone and when you return you will realize how independent you’ve become. Either way you can do it. You will still have the support from Salve, your study abroad program, friends and family from home, and new friends abroad!
Ultimately, you will do what is best for you. I hope I was able to answer some your questions.
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