So… I won’t sugar coat it, studying abroad is tough, especially when there’s a different language at play. I have traveled my entire life so I thought I’d be set to go.. but wow, was I wrong. Studying abroad is completely different than just traveling here or there for a few weeks. It really shows you what you’re capable of and how independent you can be.
Weeks before I was set to leave, I started to second guess my decision to study abroad. When I studied in Los Angeles last semester, I was able to fly home once a month, see my family, my boyfriend, and most importantly, my dog. I was beginning to realize I wouldn’t have that luxury while I was halfway across the globe. But I had made my decision, and remembered why I wanted to study in Russia in the first place: to learn my native language and immerse myself in a culture that could have been my own.
What helped with the transition was definitely staying in London for a few days. Of course, my bags were lost, but I was able to get a free shopping spree out of it thanks to the airline. The best part about London was being able to catch up with my best friends from Ithaca, but also, seeing how happy they were abroad made me excited to start my own study abroad journey.
My best friend Olivia and I at Tower Bridge in London, England.
After a tough goodbye, I flew to St. Petersburg where I then moved in to the university dorms. This was super convenient because it was attached to the building where our classes were and it only took about 3 minutes to get to class every day. Being in a new country and adjusting to the time difference can bring a lot of stress, and also sickness. A few of my friends and I got a cold and had to take a few trips to the international clinic, which was totally an experience in itself… take that as you will.
I had originally decided to live in a homestay, strictly basing my decision off of immersing myself in the culture and language for the short time I was here. The deal was: live in the dorm for a month to meet everyone and make the transition easier, then move to a homestay. Luckily, I was able to have dinner at my potential homestay, meet my family, and see where I would be living.
As we got closer to the move date, I questioned my choice. Did I want to stay in the dorm and be with my friends? Or did I want to take full advantage of this experience and learn as much as I could? At this point, I was already so overwhelmed by the language and culture, I wasn’t sure how much more immersed I wanted to be. Part of me was clinging to home so much, and all I wanted to do was go back. Every day felt like I was just going through the motions, not fully enjoying myself. When I had downtime, I would even look for flights for my boyfriend and I to meet somewhere, because the feeling of anxiety was just too much to handle. I missed the comforts of home, and simple things like my favorite restaurants or my car. But as I realized what I was feeling was normal and 100% culture shock, I also realized I couldn’t let it control my once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The phases of culture shock.
After re-evaluating why I came to Russia in the first place, I decided to move to the homestay, and honestly, it’s been great. I feel like I’m truly part of the city, commuting to school, as opposed to just a foreign student living in the dorms. Of course, there are a lot of bumps in the road, especially if you don’t speak the language that well yet, but google translate is great for this. I also had to have a little operation at the clinic and was out of commission for a few weeks. This definitely didn’t help my feeling of wanting to go home, but my friends were really helpful and kind. My homestay mom was also amazing, and would cook meals for me and let me rest. Thinking back, I’m not sure how I would have managed if I had stayed in the dorms.
It wasn’t until the beginning of March that I really got out of my culture shock funk. We were celebrating the coming of spring known as Maslenitsa, an outdoor festival with music, games, food, and not to mention, endless dancing. My friends and I danced for hours, slushing around in the puddles with our hands full of russian pancakes alongside our new international friends. There was something about not caring what anyone thought, just enjoying the moment with everyone, that truly made me realize where I was and how amazing this opportunity could be if I just let myself enjoy it.
Celebrating Maslenitsa with friends (the pancakes were far gone at this point).
Overall, everyone experiences study abroad differently. Culture shock is very common and normal, and as tough as it is to deal with, it’s all part of the experience. After facing it head on, all I can think about now is how sad I’ll be to go home (haha early reverse culture shock?). Just remember that everyone will adjust at their own pace. It really is a rollercoaster of emotions, and what worked for me was definitely surrounding myself with friends and being open with each other.
Be kind to yourself, and remember it’s all part of the experience, and I promise you’ll make it out proud of yourself. If you have any questions, stories, or advice, make sure to leave them in the comments!
