Submitted by Zachary Shulman on the 2019 fall semester DIS program in Copenhagen, Denmark…
I had the pleasure of stumbling across a few journal entries I made during my first study abroad two years ago in Rome, Italy. For the most part, they chronicled the hectic and rapid stream of events that took place in my first two weeks (mostly because that is only about how long I managed to keep a steady journaling habit). The last entry, however, was written 16 days into the program, counting the first day as the day my flight left from Philadelphia. As coincidence would have it, this blog post is for the 16th day of my program here in Copenhagen, so I think this is a unique opportunity to reflect on some of the similarities and differences between the first two weeks of each study experience. Hopefully, these reflections can be used to help other students in the future manage their second semester abroad.
One of the most important parallels that I should highlight is that in the case of both experiences, the two-week point is where you will begin to fall into a routine. No matter where you are staying, who you are living with, how you commute to school, etc., your days will begin to follow a format. This is a natural reaction to the introduction of a new and unfamiliar place; you may find yourself subconsciously falling into a more regimented schedule simply to navigate the barrage of emotions that are part and parcel to studies abroad. For myself, I have already designed a weekly schedule for eating and studying (sleeping may forever be a toss-up).
A natural byproduct of organizing a routine, however, is that the new people and places of your routine will start to become familiar. While this is no doubt a positive thing, you may now be more prone to homesickness than at any point throughout the semester. Your classmates, neighborhood, food options, and living situation are no longer as interesting as they were when you arrived, but they aren’t quite yet in your comfort zone. At this point, you may begin longing for a break from this short period of limbo. This is natural, and there are two remedies I have discovered that will help you overcome them.
First, amidst the settling of the chaos of the first two weeks, I have found it to be very helpful to appreciate the new, slower pace. Classes have begun and your schedule is falling into place. Use this time to take a deep breath, organize yourself, and be patient that this slump will soon pass. Second, don’t give up on ways to keep experiencing new things. You have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live as a student in this location. Take a different route to classes. Grab a friend or two and go explore the other side of the city that you might not see very often.
At the risk of sounding redundant, I’ll conclude with this. After about two weeks, the new sites become familiar and you start to feel less like an exploring tourist and more like a native. This is the time for you to start searching for ways to keep experiencing new things. You can’t preserve the novelty of your environment indefinitely, but you can always find new ways to preserve it.
