12 Ways to Stay Engaged with Study Abroad While at Home
Not being able to travel right now doesn’t mean it’s time to trade-in your study abroad dreams. In fact, being stuck at home can create the perfect environment to get started on making those dreams more thought-out and compelling, and to make your motivation to study abroad stronger than ever before!
Sure, you can feel bummed out, anxious, or even annoyed about the devastating effects of COVID-19 in our personal lives and around the world, but at the end of the day, it’s the positive things (big and small) that will get us all through this. That’s why now’s the time to look forward to something exciting on the other side. (Ahem, study abroad.)
So, we’ve got the study abroad inspiration you’ll need!
When will I be able to study abroad?
You’re probably wondering things like: Did this just mess up all my plans? What will travel look like after this? When will I be able to study abroad again?
The truth is this: No one has a crystal ball, but you’re resilient and the study abroad community is hopeful and innovative. The world will be waiting, and you’ll find a way to explore it. What is in your control right now is your ability to dream big and prepare for the future — so keep chasing your dreams and keep your motivation to study abroad! That way, when it’s safe, you’ll be ready for the adventure of a lifetime.
There are definitely things you can do now to make sure you keep your study abroad inspiration and stay on track with your study abroad goals. In fact, there are a few helpful, key tips for how to prepare for study abroad during a pandemic that you might want to check out.
But it doesn’t need to be all business right now. Here are the best ways to stay inspired to study abroad at home, find some fun, and get motivated for your journey ahead
12 ways to stay motivated and get prepared to study abroad in the future
1. Explore your host city with Google Maps
Technology is a wonderful thing, friends, especially when it comes to finding study abroad inspiration.
With apps like Google Maps, you can simply pick up the little orange person, drop them almost anywhere on the map, and explore as if you were walking the cobblestoned streets yourself. If you’re curious what a campus looks like in Amsterdam, drop that little Google dude in!
This can start helping you learn what makes your city unique, like how connected the public transportation is or the vibes of different neighborhoods.
As you poke around, drop pins and make your personal bucket list of restaurants, museums, parks, and more you’d want to visit when you’re finally there.
Take it a step further: If you’re feeling old school, order a map of your dream destination and start marking it up — it’ll make a great decoration in your room now (and when you’re abroad) and be a great conversation starter with your new roomies.
Another virtual option: Love a location? Set it as your zoom virtual background and pretend you’re already chilling in Paris, or maybe set an incredible sunset in Vienna as your phone lock screen.
2. Take online classes with study abroad professors
No one likes the possibility of staying inside for part of the summer, but if you’re there, why not make it fun, global, and beneficial to your four-year plan?
Nothing says “living the international dream” like scheduling a class with your Spanish professor for Monday followed by class with your professor in Cape Town on Wednesday.
It just makes sense to learn about topics like Japanese pop culture or Italian luxury business management in the places where they originate and are taught by experts in those fields.
Taking a step into the world’s classroom with an international online course is a great way to catch a glimpse of what your classes will be like abroad.
3. Read unedited student blogs to get a clearer picture
Curious about how (or what) to pack, the best study spots in Barcelona, how to handle homesickness, or making local friends? There’s a blog about that.
Get insight (and lots of motivation to study abroad) from the student POV as you browse through student stories, gathering helpful tips and understanding just how study abroad changes lives.
Many study abroad providers have designated blogger programs that include student generated content to give you a constant flow of thoughtful insights from around the globe.
Some providers, like IES Abroad, don’t edit the student voice, so you know you’re getting an unfiltered perspective of study abroad in that country.
4. Level up your language skills with apps
Sure, making banana bread and learning TikTok dances kills time, but practicing a language is truly a life skill that can give you the confidence and ability to access an even more authentic study abroad experience.
Apps like Duolingo, Drops, and Memrise are free language learning apps that can help you get familiar with the basics while boosting your vocab.
Once you’re abroad, even if your classes are in English, almost all locals will respond positively to someone actively trying to learn their language (except maybe one curmudgeon, don’t mind him).
The best part is that these apps are about as painless and flexible as language learning can get; practice whenever you have time, in as little as 5-minute rounds.
Take it a step further: If you’re starting totally from scratch or are ready for the deep-dive, tools like Mango Languages or Rosetta Stone are tried and true methods that may be available through your public library or even your study abroad provider!
Just think of how happy your future host mom will be when you’re able to ask her how her day was in German.
5. Use Netflix or Post-It notes to help you learn a language too!
Quality international TV shows are more accessible than ever across streaming platforms, and are just as binge-worthy as their English-language competition.
Turn on those subtitles and practice your Spanish with Money Heist (Casa de Papel), French with Call My Agent! (Dix pour cent), or Japanese with Terrace House (テラスハウス) while getting a glimpse into cultural norms and slang you wouldn’t necessarily learn in a classroom.
Take it a step further: Change the subtitles to the host language. Switch your smartphone over to that language as well. If you’re taking a break from your screens, why not grab a pad of Post-Its and translate all your daily use items in your house?
Seeing their names written in a new language every day will reinforce the words you’ll want to know abroad. (If you’re like us, you’ll learn “fridge” pretty quickly.) In need of some speaking confidence? Chat up your plants in Mandarin. They won’t judge your pronunciation.
6. Get in touch with an expert (AKA all your friends who can’t stop sharing study abroad pics)
Do you have friends or relatives who studied abroad? Know someone who is currently living across the world? Hit them up — a lot of us are craving some conversation with those outside of our homes and have some extra time on our hands to chat via Zoom, a simple email, or even in a DM!
If you’re nervous about connecting, here are some great conversation starters:
If you don’t have a direct contact or feel comfortable reaching out to these friends or acquaintances, there are also ambassador programs with study abroad providers.
Ambassadors are returning students who are knowledgeable study abroad experts and can give you first-hand student advice (and trust us, they LOVE having someone to talk to about it).
7. Get “cultured” — with food
Food and travel go together like peanut butter and jelly or fish and chips. Treat your taste buds to a cultural journey as you prepare to study abroad at home, before you even hop on a plane.
Research some popular dishes from your host country and try to cook them yourself! Bonus: Cooking at home is fun and saves you money, and you can save up the money you’d spend ordering in; every dollar saved is a cappuccino you could have at a café in Rome, or a Moroccan tea in the medina once you’re abroad.
Cooking foreign food isn’t as daunting as it sounds, and you’d be surprised how many ingredients you already have in your fridge or are able to find at a local grocery store. We’d recommend starting easy, as we are not responsible for any tortilla españolas that end up on the floor mid-flip.
Take it a step further: Alongside the food, plan a Zoom party with friends to keep your motivation to study abroad. Each person gets assigned a study abroad location they’re interested in, looks up info about the place, and then shares some fun facts. Maybe even a local dance?
You’ll learn something new and likely get some laughs out of it. Win-win!
8. While Marie Kondo-ing your room, do a practice run of packing
Trying to figure out how to prepare for study abroad at home makes this a good time to take stock of what you’d want to pack. You likely already have more than you’d think!
Dust off your suitcase and assess if your study abroad wardrobe is too much (even if that means Googling “How many shoes are too many for study abroad?”) Plan out a capsule wardrobe with some basics and build up from there.
Don’t forget to consider touches of home, as well, like photos of friends and family. A top packing tip? Don’t plan on bringing anything that you wouldn’t want to carry up a flight of stairs yourself.
9. Get lost in a book or movie about your destination of choice
There’s nothing quite like a movie to instantly transport you to a faraway place — and to drum up some major study abroad inspiration. Cozy up on the couch and get lost in wanderlusty favorites like Lost in Translation, Under the Tuscan Sun, Motorcycle Diaries, Roman Holiday, or even lighthearted Mama Mia. It’s the next best thing to a vacation, we promise.
Students also produce incredible content during their journeys abroad, so if you’re looking for the student perspective, you’ve got to check out YouTube for everything from drone shots, to music videos about their experiences.
For a break from the screens (which we all need sometimes), many of these aforementioned movies are actually based on books. Better yet, there are so many travel books that aren’t just a guide!
Get lost in some of the best getaways in novels like All the Light We Cannot See, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, A Moveable Feast, and even Eat, Pray, Love.
Looking for more? Goodreads is always a helpful resource to find the next best travel novel to whisk you away.
10. Set your phone up to be the toolkit you’ll need
It’s easy to forget how useful our smartphones are as we navigate our daily lives. While abroad, certain apps can be there to help you with the basics, like knowing how to get around and how to communicate when you don’t!
No matter what your data situation may be abroad, it’s best to try to find apps that work offline, so you can focus on exploring rather than finding the nearest Wi-Fi.
11. Internationalize your life
Celsius, 24 hour clocks, and more! Moving to another country will always mean some level of cultural adjustments, so why not get a head start for even more study abroad inspiration?
When you check the weather in the morning, why not toggle it over to Celsius, so you can start familiarizing yourself with whatever the heck 35 degrees Celsius feels like. Set your clock to 24 hours to start acclimating to that as well, because yes, there is a 13 o’clock.
Or, por ejemplo, do as the Spaniards do and eat a larger lunch and smaller dinner, or enjoy the siesta lifestyle (but, let’s be real, anything more than 20 minutes is a full-fledged nap).
Ride your bike like you’re traversing the canals in Amsterdam. Take off your shoes at the door before entering a house like you will in Japan, or try something as simple (for some) as using chopsticks. Start climbing your stairs to prepare for hiking the mountains in Australia or New Zealand.
Acclimating yourself to these differences now can make you feel even closer with your host country, or just lessen some of the culture shock when you’re there.
12. Last, but certainly not least…
Please make sure you have a passport that isn’t expiring any time soon. You’re going to need it.
After trying your hand at any combination of these ways to stay connected to your international dreams, we hope you come out of it more eager to see the world than ever before once it’s open again for exploring.
You may feel like you’re in study abroad limbo right now, but as the saying goes, this too shall pass. Whether you follow our tips and master Italian on Rosetta Stone or you just can’t seem to perfect the art of using chopsticks while social distancing — it doesn’t matter!
Putting in the time to remind yourself of the future on the other side of this and feeling excited about sticking to your dreams is always worth it. When you’re ready to take the next step and start planning, you have a whole study abroad community with the resources to get you there.
Also read: How to Choose a Business School Without Leaving the House
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