Life lessons found through travel focus on being in the present moment and immersing oneself in the real world. The personal takeaways when one is able to expand on curiosity, live simply, appreciate another culture, and even befriend a stranger takes lessons home and allow the rest of the world to learn as well. 

Confusion comes from situations that all of us don’t quite understand in the moment because the obstacles overwhelm us at first. Students, most of you have attended virtual classes for the first time. Teachers, you’ve had to adapt your lesson plans at a moment’s notice.

At some point in their academic life, all students feel the pressure of learning different sets of verbs and their conjugations, grammatical rules, and practice-scenarios. It is not uncommon to have heard of a friend who felt so anxious with the workload that they decided to withdraw from a language course altogether. This doesn’t have to happen that way. There is a better way to easily speak and understand other languages.

As you look to study abroad, you might think that making friendships abroad might seem like a daunting task given your destination, but the long-term effects are worthwhile! Developing lifelong connections with other international students and your local peers will provide you with a deeper understanding of other cultures, after interacting effectively with people from cultures besides their own. If you’re coming back from being abroad, you’re probably thinking about how your new friends from abroad will play into the rest of your life.