Yes, you can! Three mind­sets for a suc­cess­ful se­mes­ter abroad

I had always wanted to go abroad, but I still experienced a moment of hesitation because of how big an effort such a project is: you're essentially going to a foreign place without your lifelong friends and family and have to start fresh – at least for a while. From where I stand now, I can say that this has truly been one of the best years of my life. And that's because I did certain things right. I'll even stay here longer, doing an internship and writing my bachelor's thesis at Berkeley! Based on my experience, I would like to share with you the mindsets that have helped me benefit so much from my time here. Some of them, as you will see, are lessons I have learnt from friends whose perspectives have been incredibly valuable to me.

1. Be proactive about meeting people and make things happen!

I'll start with the obvious: Friendships shape memories like nothing else. The crux of the matter is that they don't just 'happen' on their own. I would therefore definitely recommend taking the initiative to organise things yourself – other students also want to meet people and will be grateful if you invite them to a dinner or outing! For me, a group of friends formed after a few weeks. We all wanted to travel, so we made it happen: we picked a long weekend, rented a seven-seater and headed down Highway 1, a famous motorway that runs right along the coast of California. Believe it or not, sitting in a car with six other people can get slightly annoying after a while. But a side effect that made it worth it was that people I'd only met a few weeks earlier in Berkeley became real friends – and faster than I could have ever imagined. Waking up after a night in a tent directly above Malibu Beach or arriving at Venice Beach in Los Angeles just in time for running across the beach at sunset – those were some truly bonding experiences, let me tell you!

2. Say "yes" more often than "no"!

My friend Till is someone I've always admired for his initiative. He's great at organising things and bringing people together, which is why, out of all the exchange students I've met here, he's been the one with the most friendships. If you ask me, an important factor is that he took advantage of as many opportunities as he could. As he himself puts it: "I would strongly advise you to become a 'yes person': When you look back, you'll remember the experiences you said yes to, rather than the times you preferred to stay at home or just study. Personally, I tried to take all the classes I was interested in even if I wasn't enrolled. I also joined a consulting club, led a project and found amazing friends for life. It was a lot... but I slept well at night!"

3. Relax a little!

Good preparation is super important when it comes to a semester abroad – there's no question about that. However, I've also learnt that you can't control everything – and that that's okay. It's more important to enjoy the moment than to focus on perfecting the future. The person I learnt this from is Hugo from Sweden. I met him on my first day at Berkeley and he is now one of my closest friends. He, too, took a moment to put his philosophy into words: "The most important advice I would give is not to have too many expectations and to go in with an open mind. There will be difficult moments along the way, but you will manage. For example, the embassy lost my visa and passport twice because they sent them to the wrong person. The CIA got involved and managed to find it. After this happened, I realised that, whatever happens, everything is going to be fine." Even if a year abroad feels like a big step – but at best you will make memories and friends for life, and at worst you'll return home after a short few months and appreciate it more than before. I say: do it, take the plunge!

01.07.2024