Submitted by Jade Schlegel on the 2022 spring semester program in Madrid, Spain…
Before coming abroad, I was really worried that I would struggle with FOMO. If you’re not sure what that is, it’s the fear of missing out. I like to be in the loop and even on campus I would sometimes feel myself being worried that I was missing something. Before coming to Spain, I did all the preparation given to me by the University of Delaware and I knew I should keep busy and stay off of social media. And if I’m being totally honest, I wasn’t sure if it would really help me. But being halfway done with my semester abroad, I can assure you that my feelings of FOMO have only hit me a few times. You are definitely going to miss your friends and being able to spend time with them; that is something everyone goes through. However, there are a few things you can do here to make sure you don’t feel like you’re missing out. The first thing is to surround yourself with a good group of friends. While I know this is easier said than done, if you put in the work and put yourself out there, you will meet some amazing people abroad. And this might take you a little to do, but once you find the right people you will feel more comfortable abroad. The second tip I have for limiting your feelings of FOMO is do everything you can while abroad. There is so much to see and do. Whether it’s weekend trips to the south of Spain or going to the Prado for free with a friend, take advantage of being abroad and soak it all in. If you don’t spend your time doing the fun things you have the opportunity to do, then you will find yourself feeling like you’re missing out and wanting to be home. While abroad, you’re supposed to be taking advantage of all the amazing things your host country has to offer, so make sure you do all that you can. And finally, take breaks from social media when you know you need to. I will be honest and say I am on social media more than I would like to admit, but I know when it’s time for me to take a break. Make sure you know yourself and know when you need to take a step back. Being abroad, I really had to find a balance of talking to my friends at home, but also not being too in the loop with what they are doing. For me texting and weekly video chats with my closest friends have been great for us and it allows us to stay connected even when we are an ocean apart. Being abroad is truly a balancing act, you can read all about what to do before going, but once you’re there it’s really about what works best for you. It may take a few weeks to find what works best for you and even then ,you may need to change what you’re doing as time goes on. As long as you keep doing what works best for you, you will really enjoy your time abroad and you will find yourself not so worried about what’s happening back at home.
