1. Your social life will be exciting AF. Studying abroad means you’ll be in a foreign country and in a university you’ll think is incredible. Which means, you'll also be learning courses in a ~*new*~ way. But while the studying part might be great, that’s not where you’ll learn everything. Academic life becomes second to exploring your new home, meeting new people, and trying to figure out this new culture you find yourself immersed in. You’ll learn a lot outside the classroom.
2. You’ll get to see places you’ve only ever dreamed of. Studying abroad means travel! Until your pockets start getting holes. If you’re in Europe, you’ll be standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, riding a gondola in Venice, or visiting Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam. If you’re in Japan, you’ll be in Kyoto with the geishas one weekend, and by Mt. Fuji in the next! Items on your bucket list will be ticked off one by one.
3. You’ll be amazed how trip-planning savvy you've become. All this travel will hurt your wallet, and you’ll probably be living on cup noodles. Searching for the perfect budget trip will become your expertise. No more fancy hotels? That’s totally okay! You’ll discover the awesomeness of hostels, budget-airlines, and FREE CITY TOURS.
4. Independence will be oh so sweet and painfully rewarding at the same time. Finally, your own place! YOU get to decide what time to wake up. And better yet, when to go home. But along with the fun comes responsibility. No more ates and moms to cook your meals and wash your laundry. It’s all you. You might be working a washing machine in a foreign language. You’ll also be cleaning your own bathroom. But before you know it, you’ll become an expert in all things domesticated. You’ll never want to go back to your yaya’s arms—or maybe you will. But you know you can make it on your own.
5. You’ll realize how amazing your own country and culture is. You’ve always thought about how perfect other countries can be compared to the busy and messy streets of Manila. While you’ll think of that again when you land on foreign soil, you’ll eventually realize how great your home really is. When the locals you meet ask you about your country, you’ll see how proud you are of the pristine beaches, amazing volcanoes, and the tropical weather that all of them dream about! You’ll also realize how interesting our culture is, and how amazing Filipinos are—including yourself!
6. You’ll make some of the greatest friends you’ll ever have. You’ll meet the most incredible people in the world, and they will be some of your best friends. Apart from the locals, you’ll be meeting other foreign students like you! Sharing this experience together will mean creating a bond so strong, it will last a lifetime. All those weekends traveling, lazy days lounging on a field with beer, and best (or worst) of all, the endless nights out at a crazy club ’til dawn. When you fly back home, they will be the hardest people to say goodbye to. Don’t worry, though. There will be Skype dates and handwritten mails! Plus, a place to crash for free in all parts of the world.
7. You will learn more about yourself than you ever imagined possible. Taking that scary leap into an unknown world on your own and ending up calling that place your second home will change you forever. The months you stay abroad will show you different perspectives and give you a fresh outlook on life and yourself. You’ll come back a different person: more confident, open-minded, and with an ability to express yourself exactly the way you want to (You’ll have tons of stories to tell!). And best of all, you’ll find that everything is full of possibilities. <3