Overcoming Fears When Studying Abroad

FEAR

Challenge

All of us can be afraid of the unknown. Many students hesitate to study abroad because they're worried about leaving their friends for a semester or a year, worried about leaving their academic program, worried about fitting in with a new culture and making new friends, worried about learning and speaking a new language, worried about safety or health issues, worried about learning to live with a host family, and just worried in general. While there may be excitement or anticipation mixed with that concern, it is important to recognize and deal with fear as a healthy part of the study abroad process.

Overcoming

One of the best ways of overcoming the fear associated with studying abroad is to learn. What we really fear is not the experience itself, but that it's unknown and unfamiliar. We fear what we cannot anticipate and do not understand. How do you learn more about studying abroad before you actually get on the plane?

Talk to returned study abroad students
Talk to others who have lived in the country where you will study
Read books by native authors
Research the country - statistics, customs, language, etc.
Research the city/town/village/etc. where you will be living
Listen to native music or watch native films

The idea behind all of this is to get a better understanding of the place where you are going. Probably the best option for allaying your fears is to talk to other students who have already studied abroad, particularly with the program or in the area that you'll be studying. Students who have already been abroad can tell you what it was really like. They understand your concerns because they've been in your shoes. They can tell you what the classes and people were like, how they dealt with culture shock and embarrassing situations, what they learned, and how their lives were changed by their amazing experiences. While no two people will have exactly the same experience abroad, you can learn a wealth of information from those who have been there before you.

Talking with other students should help you manage most of your fears about the unknown aspects of studying abroad while talking to your study abroad adviser can help you learn what the misconceptions and real concerns are when dealing with health and safety abroad. In talking about the fear of prospective study abroad students at Lincoln University, Ms. Lundy commented that as students of color, some of them have concerns about racial incidents. When they bring this concern to her, she can share with them the reality that discrimination in many forms may be a possibility although Lincoln has not had any overt incidents in the past. She is able to help students understand what they should do were they in a situation where they felt victimized by race, including who to inform while abroad, and what situations might exist in the country in which they will study. In this way, she and study abroad advisers like her are able to help students deal with their fears in a productive way that prepares them for the realities of studying abroad while giving them the knowledge and tools to succeed in their experiences. She also encourages concerned students to talk to returned students about any acts of racism they may have experienced and how they handled those situations.

Overcome & Triumph

Studying abroad can provide you with amazing opportunities. Your horizons will expand. Your knowledge and perspective on the world will grow. You will gain cross-cultural communication skills. Studying abroad is likely to help you with the rest of your academics as well as with your career. While there are certainly challenges such as the 4 F's to contend with, the rewards are rich, and it's well worth working to out these issues to pursue your dreams.

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