My year abroad: a journey with ups and downs – Stella M.

My year abroad: a journey with ups and downs – Stella M.

Looking back on my exchange year which is nearly coming to an end, I would like to describe this whole journey in some words. If you would tell little me, how massive a person can change and develop in just a few months I would probably just laugh and deny this statement. At first glance an exchange year seems just useful for improving your language skills and get some variety of life. But you only realise that there is so much more to it when you have had such an experience.

An exchange year is a massive process of growth not only for your linguistic skills but also for yourself. At a young age you are often already confronted with unfamiliar situations, be it by being torn out of your familiar environment, being surrounded by people from all over the world who don’t even speak the same language or just being completely responsible for yourself in your new routine from one day to the next. Furthermore this journey also requires a lot from oneself. On this path you will meet a lot of challenges no matter whether it is dealing with homesickness, opening up to other unfamiliar persons or just the confrontations of situations, in which you must overcome yourself and get out of your comfort zone. These things could be standing in front of a foreign course and giving a presentation, raising your arm in class for the first time to join the discussion or of course just asking for any form of help. No matter how many teething troubles this journey involves, at the end, when you look back and recognise that all your courage has paid off and will be useful for your whole future career, you will thank yourself for your endurance and bravery.

Now with this realisation I can only highly recommend to use grab any chances like these – even if it seems to be impossible at times; it is definitely worth it!