Intentional moments of reflection help you actively engage with your thoughts and emotions related to different experiences. While studying abroad and living a multitude of new experiences, it can be particularly helpful to slow down and think about all that you are experiencing. 

On GoOverseas, a current EdOdyssey Peru team member, Patty Valencia, wrote of a powerful moment that she witnessed during an EdOdyssey immersion trip in Peru: 

“After dinner, Peter - the President and Global Founder of EdOdyssey - led the group’s nightly reflection and I was moved by the students’ words. They were talking about how great and life changing their whole experience of being in Peru had been and how great [it] was to see people being so happy with what they had, and supportive of each other even when they hadn’t much to offer.”

Before, during, and after a study abroad experience, taking time to reflect on your values, beliefs, experiences, goals, and passions will help you fully engage with your experience and your inner emotions. 

PREPARING FOR THE UNKNOWN

As you prepare to study abroad, pause and think about your emotions, expectations, and fears, because doing so will help you set goals for the experience and guide what you look to get out of your time abroad. The day before I left to study abroad in Lima, Peru, I remember feeling completely unprepared and nervous about the experience that was to come. Acknowledging your worries and fears is okay and completely normal before a new experience. 

Before you head off to study abroad, consider some of these questions: 

• What are some of your passions?

• What are you most excited about? Most worried about? 

• Why did you choose to do this experience? 

My ice skating coach used to say before competitions that if you are nervous, that just means that you care. If you feel nerves before you study abroad, that is 100% normal and likely means that you care about this new experience and are anxiously anticipating the unknown that waits ahead. Accept that nervousness is part of the experience and remember that there are people who are there to support you throughout your journey abroad. 

REFLECTING THROUGHOUT YOUR ABROAD EXPERIENCE

The three main reasons why reflections are an integral part of EdOdyssey programs are to build trust and communication, to unpack our observations, and embrace emotions, are all also relevant while studying abroad. As you experience a new culture, face adversity, and adapt to a new environment, pausing to reflect on all you have gone through will help you both learn and grow. 

Some popular manners of processing and reflecting on experiences are journaling, blogging, talking with classmates, program leaders, or other supportive relationships, and silent reflection. These forms of reflection can be done daily or weekly, or sporadically throughout the experience. 

When asked about the value of reflecting while abroad, Hui Li, who studied abroad in Italy and 2020 summer intern with EdOdyssey,  shares that: 

“Blogging, journaling, or doing any kind of recording/reflection on something like study abroad puts an abstract concept like time, experience, and growth into a concrete medium that you can use to put the things you learn into perspective. You have something in the physical realm that you can look back on like a timeline and use as a means to track your progress. By having a concrete record created over time, you can better assess how much you've grown since your first days abroad.” 

THINKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD

Coming home from being abroad can be a difficult experience. You may experience reverse culture shock after being immersed in a different culture for a long period of time. You have likely said goodbye to many friends or host family members who you do not know when you will see again. Additionally, you have had numerous unique experiences that others around you have not had. Reflection will help you process why returning home may have left you with a flurry of emotions. 

As you look toward your next adventure after studying abroad, you can think about how you’ll use your study abroad experience and takeaways to create the future that you want for yourself. Think about all the experiences you had abroad and take time to reflect on them, talk about them, and process them. 

Some questions that helped me when I returned from study abroad are the following:  

• What new passions do I have now? 

• What are some things that I learned while abroad?

• What are some experiences when I felt most happy? Most sad or uncomfortable? 

• What are some moments when I was most proud of myself?

These questions are great because you can reflect not only on your experiences, but on how they affected you and how you can work to create more proud and passion-fueled moments in the future. 

For some more ideas about post-study abroad reflection, check out Amanda Lowrey’s blog called Six Helpful Questions to Reflect on Your Study Abroad Experience!