Contributors: Mindy Gruver, Sabrina Morin, Maya Valletta, Kristen Stephen, Kyd Kacani, Sadie Patterson, Addison Mackenzie Suit, Nicole Li, Ava Komasz

Like every other college student in existence, I had a dream of studying abroad since I was very young. However, the unknown made me terrified. I watched videos and read articles about “advice,” but none seemed particularly useful. As an avid Bravo fan, I wanted to know the dirt, the inside secrets, and, of course, the drama, so I made an online survey. After receiving dozens of stories from my sampling from friends and family, I present the most chaotic and random yet helpful advice I wish I had before studying abroad.

Disclaimer!! When I put out my survey to gather information for this article, I received a ton of frightening stories about people getting drugged, followed, and SAed. While I will not be sharing specifics, I want to warn everyone to be careful, always stay around multiple friends you trust, and be mindful of those around you. There are often signs in the bathrooms at clubs and bars with directions on what to do if you feel uncomfortable by someone. Have fun, but be safe and aware!

Let’s get into it…

“If you’re in a non-English speaking country, always find the Irish bar. Suddenly, everyone speaks ‘English.’” - Mindy, 50, Penn State University.

“Download the country you are visiting on maps in case you have no service you can still get directions. Also, if you have any artist you really like, check if they are touring in your area during the time you are there to catch a concert or even a theater show.” - Sabrina, 22, Drexel University.

This is a great tip. Concerts or shows are a fantastic way to connect with locals and enjoy your interests! I saw “The Weeknd” in London Stadium at the last minute and wasn’t a huge fan then, but now I love his music because it reminds me of London.

“Just get an international phone plan. The SIM cards aren’t worth it. Also, if you’re staying in Athens, just sneak through the metro. You’ll never need to buy tickets.” - Maya, 22, UD/ Pitt.

This could be a life hack, but be careful! In London, it was impossible to do this, and I witnessed multiple people being caught!

“The three color packing theory. Air conditioning doesn’t exist abroad, and the weather is weird in London. I had no idea how to pack, so I came up with the three-color theory. I created a capsule wardrobe made up of the three best colors in my wardrobe which were black, white, and silver (does not have to be neutrals). This made it extremely easy to pack for weekend trips, and when I went shopping abroad, I had a ton of options to match my new clothes with. I’ve done it on every trip since and have never looked back. Also, yes, you can walk miles around the city in cowboy boots! I’m fine, stop being dramatic!!” - Delaney, 22, Drexel.

“I brought my pillow from home as 1 of my carry-on items. Everyone made fun of me when I showed up at the airport with my pillow. But they were all jealous when their pillows for the entire semester were crappy. Highly recommend!” - Kristen, 54, Penn State University. I can attest that sleeping on the ONE flat pillow they give you is impossible.

“In Paris, we had gone out to a bar but got caught in the crossfire of protesters. What we had thought was smoke from fires was sweeping tear gas that had a full body choke on us. As we ran away, crying our very American tears, a motorcyclist stopped at the corner and yelled to us, ‘Welcome to Paris.’ If I didn’t have three other witnesses, I don’t think anybody would believe us” - Kyd, 21, Drexel University.

As one of the three witnesses, I admit I could not breathe, see, or talk. I ran as fast as I possibly could. To avoid getting tear gassed, it’s probably best to Uber to the bar- or not go to the bar at all if the entire city is protesting and literally up in flames.

“School at London College of Fashion was no joke! We had to produce an editorial shoot in six weeks with professionals that were complete strangers. In our tiny living room, we shoved gigantic piles of clothes together and tried on different looks for the shoot. We called them style parties. We sent our looks to the teacher, and he repeatedly said no to every single one. It was by far the most stressful week of my academic career. Style parties were prob my most chaotic stories, thirteen 20-year-olds filled to the brim with stress and creativity.” - Sadie, 22, Drexel University.

“I did an impromptu three-mile walk in 90° heat to make friends while in DOCS, which resulted in me losing a layer of skin on my foot and calling out of my second class.” - Addison, 22, Drexel.

DO NOT WEAR DOC MARTENS!!!!! I swear by Doc Martens on a regular basis, but walking miles in Europe with them on is probably not the best idea. My cowboy boots from Amazon held up surprisingly well.

Addison in the Doc Martens (before tragedy struck)

“I was supposed to be meeting a friend from home in Croatia and took a flight out of Venice… I boarded the plane and fell asleep. An hour later, I wake up, and we’re landing, but then I realize we’re landing back in Venice. The crew was not helpful at explaining anything, and when I looked for other flights, there weren’t any for two days and I needed to get to Croatia by the next morning because we had excursions booked. So I booked a 14 hour FlixBus trip that was leaving in 15 minutes and ran a mile with all my stuff to the bus station just in time. As much as being on a bus for 14 hours was not fun, I met some really cool people, like a 72-year-old woman who was going to hike the entire Dalmatian Coast and a thirty-something-year-old man who has been to 97 countries. I got to Croatia at 2 a.m. The trip was totally worth it because Croatia was my favorite country I visited while studying abroad” - Ava, 22, Monmouth University. Be an adventurous traveler! Not everything will be comfortable or easy, but you will definitely not be bored. You never know when you will meet someone amazing.

“On our trip to Paris, we found out that subway tickets couldn’t touch anything metal, like our phones, or they’d stop working. One time, my ticket stopped working, and there was no one at the booth or any way to get a new one. So, I had to crawl under the gate to get through…” - Nicole, 21, Drexel.

If you’re in Paris, DO NOT let your ticket touch your phone. While it was hilarious to watch, no one wants to crawl on the floor of a Paris subway station.

“I definitely regret not going out more and exploring the city of London while I had the chance. There was so much to see and do, but I often felt too tired and overwhelmed after long days of classes to venture out. Looking back, I wish I had pushed myself to make the most of every moment, even when I was exhausted because London is such a beautiful and exciting city. Missing out on fully experiencing its culture and landmarks is something I’ll always wish I had taken more advantage of during my time there.” - Nicole, 21, Drexel.

Don’t stretch yourself too thin, but remember that this is likely your only chance to go abroad, and you should take advantage of every moment! Say yes to plans, go out on a random weeknight, and spend money on experiences.

“The blunt Dutch teacher made me cry in ‘Visuals for Fashion’ class. He went around the room and complemented EVERYONES’ mood boards and then told me mine sucked. My relationship was falling apart; I hadn’t seen my dog in weeks and was getting no sleep. So safe to say I was not in a state to handle that criticism. I tried my best to suck it up and follow his critique, but I still got a C.” - Delaney, 22 , Drexel.

Teachers abroad can be scarier than those in America. Don’t let them hurt your feelings like I did.

“My mom and sister came to visit, and we went to a small taverna near my house in Greece. It was run by these two brothers - Costas and Dimitri - and I went there all the time for lunch. We got to know them really well, and they were so nice to us. To show kindness to my mom, they brought us an octopus dish (for free). They were so proud and happy to give that to us as a gift to welcome my mom. None of us wanted to eat it! My mom was the only one who ate any of it, while my sister and I tried to hide pieces of it in our napkins when they weren't looking. I still feel embarrassed that we couldn't enjoy the gift they'd given us.” - Kristen, 54, Penn State.

Honestly, I am not the best person to speak on this because I am vegetarian, but I think the best thing to say here is “try new things.”

Don’t let the random, chaotic moments get to you! Enjoy the memories you have abroad because you will be jealous of yourself for the rest of your life after you get home. For me, coming back to the US was the worst part. Even though I had a list of things I “needed” to do when I got home, like “go to Wawa,” I can honestly say I am devastated every time I wake up, and I’m still in this country.

Take the weekend trip, go to the concert, or go on the excursion, even when you probably shouldn’t be spending more money. You will not regret it. You can always earn money back when you get home, but you likely won’t get this opportunity again!

Study Abroad Confessional: Unfiltered Tales and Wisdom

Popular Anime: The Depth of Female Characters

From TikTok Dancer to Pop Star: How Addison Rae Won Me Over