If you are interested in studying abroad but are worried about what could go wrong, this is the article for you. I’ll be honest, I barely have the money to afford higher education in the U.S., but if you’re concerned about finances, studying abroad could be even cheaper for you than if you stayed in the U.S. (as it was for me, thanks to Moravian’s help).
As for disasters, I know everything that could happen. My phone broke a few weeks in to my study abroad experience, before I knew my way around. I was also pickpocketed, I had friends get mugged and scammed, and many of my friends were caught “tram-hopping” and had to pay an exorbitant fine. So, I know what could happen.
But, all those same things could happen to you back home, and are you seeing the Colosseum at home? No? That’s what I thought.
For my advice, please follow the laws of the country that you are visiting. I know many of my friends are used to hopping the turnstile in NYC, but it is not the same across the sea. In Europe, if you don’t pay for a 5-30 euro train ticket, you will pay 200 euros. It is just not worth it, and they always catch you.
Next, be prepared for what you cannot expect. I never would have imagined not having my phone in Florence, Italy, where I studied abroad, but it happened to me early on, and I had to figure out my way to the closest phone repair store with no walking directions. Similarly, I heard that some of my friends of a friend got mugged, and had to buy a new phone within the first few weeks.
All of this to say: these are extremely populated areas, and you need to be aware of your surroundings. Put your money deep in a wallet in a purse, and then tuck that purse under your arm, shirt and/or jacket. Don’t bring or wear expensive jewelry abroad; I left all my heirlooms and other expensive jewelry at home in Pennsylvania because it is not worth the risk.
When you go out, do not carry all your money. I used to find the closest ATM with minimal fees, take out a couple hundred dollars, hold it CLOSE to my chest on my short walk home, and then hide it in a book in my hotel room and would only pull out 20-40 euros at a time so God forbid if I did get mugged or pickpocketed, they didn’t take it all.
I’ve had friends lose their ID and passports while studying abroad: oh no! What do you do? Well, you’re not the first person to experience this, which is why there is a U.S. Embassy in most places where you’ll study abroad. My friends eventually got emergency replacement passports, but, again, this is not desirable. Please keep your passport in a safe place, because some of my friends couldn’t travel to certain countries with their emergency replacements.
I got stuck in multiple foreign cities due to train strikes, but I always managed to survive. And if there is one thing studying abroad by myself taught me, it is that I am stronger and braver than I ever imagined. Every time something went wrong, I figured out a solution, and it made me a better person.
I won’t pretend that I wasn’t afraid or lonely at times. I called home crying multiple times – but it made me a better person. These difficult situations taught me to adapt, protect myself and stay aware of my surroundings.
Trigger Warning for Sexual Assault
I want to bring up something that is unfortunately very likely for solo women traveling by themselves: I was sexually harassed on an empty train when I was in Italy, and I was by myself. I thought he was going to kill me when I got off the train at my stop. But I thought to myself, I needed to do something, so I shoved past him and walked through every single train cart until I found a single other passenger.
I put into my Google Translate that I was afraid, the man who harassed me had followed me into the bathroom and throughout the train carts, and said he would get off at the same stop as me, and I didn’t know what to do.
So, this stranger tells me to sit next to him, tells me he will take care of it (via Google Translate), says something in Italian to the scary harasser and then the nice stranger tells me to call my friend to meet me at my train stop, just in case the man tries to follow me home.
I made it home safely, thanks to the help of this kind stranger and my newfound friends from all over the U.S., who were studying abroad in Florence with me and met me at the station. Although I was terrified and horrified, it taught me that there are people who will help and protect you everywhere.
So, if you’re afraid, be afraid. Allow that to guide you to protect yourself. Sometimes fear isn’t a bad thing – it just tells you what you should be afraid of. And sometimes you should be afraid, but you should never let that fear stop you from having some of the best experiences of your life. I don’t regret studying abroad at any single point; if anything, I want to go back every day. I have dreams about Florence and the Tuscan hills, and you will too, whenever you choose to go.
