Semester Abroad It's Okay to Be On Your Own

Semester Abroad - University of Melbourne

Sydney, Barcelona, London to name a few… if you decide to study abroad at one of these locales, you are nearly guaranteed to be surrounded, constantly, by other Penn students. For some, this is a hallmark of going abroad; travelling to a foreign country with your closest friends to have that experience together. But what if you’re interested in somewhere that your best friends, or other Penn students generally, are not? For me, that was Melbourne, Australia, where fewer than ten Penn students studied during my semester there. And truthfully, it was one of the best decisions I made. Here’s why:

I was given an opportunity to branch out, explore, and meet new people. Local people. For me, this was a hallmark of my abroad experience; forging new relationships that would forever extend to the farthest corners of the globe. Sure, it was hard at times to be 10,000 miles away from “my people,” those who I had grown close to during my time at Penn and my family in northern New Jersey. But I learned a lot and found that it is okay, and in fact incredible, to rely on yourself. And now, I have Australian friends who I can visit if I travel back to Melbourne, which likely would not have been the case if I had studied abroad with my closest friends.

My decision to live in one of Melbourne’s residential Colleges, Ormond, was a major component in my ability to create these friendships with local Australian students. The idea of being the only American living there was intimidating at first, but in the end it is what I cherish most about my time in Melbourne.

So my advice to any prospective abroad goers is to not limit yourself. Even if your best friends are not interested in studying abroad in the place that you are, do not let that deter you from having a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you are interested in. No matter who you are with, you will able to meet new people and forge new friendships and make the most of your experience. It will not always be easy, but you will learn a lot about yourself and your ability to be independent.