By: Ethan Craxford, Osaka University, Faculty of Social Sciences
Because of all of this, there was a time right before I left where I was utterly terrified of doing my exchange, to the degree that I was hoping for some out of control, totally unrealistic circumstance that would prevent me from going. As it would turn out, this is a totally common anxiety shared by a handful of students that I’ve spoken to on my exchange; and in preparing to write this blog post, we all agreed on a kind of motivating advice: scared to do it? Do it scared.
If you’re a prospective exchange student and you stumble upon this, I can’t imagine this is terribly helpful at making you any less anxious. And that’s alright. As I’m writing this, I’m on week 12 of my time abroad and it’s still extremely daunting. However, as scary as it may seem, spending a semester or two abroad is an unbelievable opportunity for self-growth and personal discovery. A major part of doing an experience like this is letting yourself be pushed out of your comfort zone. Obviously, this looks different for everyone. For me, I was suddenly required to be more independent and outgoing in a country that isn’t really big on English. Something that was mundane at home, like going out to eat or grocery shopping, was suddenly much more difficult to just go out and do.
On top of that, there was the added intimidating factor of meeting and spending time with an entirely new group of people, as well as navigating the nuances of solo travelling. While some things are easier now than they were 12 weeks ago, a lot of things are still just as scary. However, the thing I try to keep at the forefront of my mind, and what I recommend to any prospective exchange students, is to not let the anxiety of doing something keep you from doing it; allow yourself the flexibility to be uncomfortable.
Obviously, this is corny and sounds like a bad self-help book, yet I feel like a little reminder is helpful in providing a much-needed push. Studying abroad is a unique chance to push yourself out of your comfort zone and allow yourself to grow as a person through opportunities you wouldn’t necessarily find or consider doing at home. If you’re considering an exchange, and you’re hung up on some of the more daunting aspects of it, do it anyway. Scared, anxious, or downright terrified if need be. You won’t regret it!