Junior journalism major
I’m going to London this spring, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve traveled out of the country before, but I’ve never been to London. I want to explore the city and have the craziest adventures imaginable.
But there’s something standing in my way: confusion.
To go abroad, I requested classes, but won’t find out which ones I got until I get there. I also won’t find out who my roommate is until possibly a few days before my flight.
Obviously, every program is different. Communication between universities can sometimes be haphazard or delayed because of the time difference. I get that. But on some level, I don’t get it. I am literally packing my life away, saying goodbye to my culture, my family, my friends and everything else. And I don’t even know for sure what’s going to happen when I arrive.
I’m told that these issues work themselves out, but I personally don’t see why it has to be this way.
There’s so much uncertainty as it is. How am I going to travel? Am I going to like my classes? Am I going to make new friends? It’s like starting college all over again, but this time in what feels like a world away — which it sort of is.
International students do not receive registration priority, and that’s fine. But shouldn’t there be some sort of stipulation for students only going somewhere for a semester? They are not necessarily used to the idea of traveling and therefore will want to know more about what will actually be happening while studying abroad.
Everyone keeps asking me: What are you taking? What are you going to be doing while you’re abroad? Have you thought about where you’re going for spring break?
The truth is, I really don’t know the answers to any of these questions. I have ideas, and guesses, but I don’t know anything.
Maybe that’s part of the fun of it. As opposed to knowing every little detail about a spring semester at school, from the people I’m taking classes with to who my teacher is to what I’ll actually be learning, I’m going in with a clean slate. I have no preconceived notions of anything. It’s fresh. I’m fresh. The adventures I’m craving lie in this uncertainty, too. I want to see the world. I obviously can’t accomplish that in one semester, but I can surely try. Spain, Italy, France, Ireland — the world is literally my oyster. Well, not literally, but you get the point.
And the friends? I already know people I’m going with, but there are tons I don’t. And if it’s anything like the start of college, I guess I won’t have that much to worry about after all.
I guess my confusion isn’t really something to complain about, but really something to celebrate. I have the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone in a way most people don’t, and I’m not going to waste this opportunity on wondering if I’ll get into the English class I want.
David Oliver is a junior journalism major. He can be reached at opinionumdbk@gmail.com.
