In a world where national borders are becoming battlegrounds for rising nationalism, the idea of “home” is being redefined. What does it mean to belong? To be “from” somewhere? In a time when fear and suspicion often greet the unfamiliar, the experience of studying abroad stands as a powerful antidote—a journey that calls for both courage and openness. In a society where convenience is king, where the world fits in the palm of our hands, studying abroad challenges us to step out of our comfort zones and into the complex, beautiful, and sometimes frustrating world of other cultures. This journey isn’t just about ticking off a checklist of destinations for Instagram likes; it’s about slowing down, staying, and finding a new home—far from the familiar. It’s about realizing that, despite our differences, we are more alike than we know.
Gen Z has grown up in a world where nearly everything is available instantly. Need food? It’s at your door in minutes. Want to know something? Just ask your phone. From Google to Netflix, instant gratification has become the norm. But in the world of study abroad, there is no app for culture shock. No quick fix for the feeling of being lost, frustrated, or unsure of yourself in a foreign land. And it’s precisely this discomfort that is the most powerful tool for growth. At first, the unfamiliarity can feel overwhelming. The language sounds strange, the rhythm of daily life is different, and every small task feels like an obstacle. But here’s the twist: this frustration, this moment when you don’t have all the answers, is the magic of studying abroad. It’s a slow, messy process of realizing that to truly understand the world, you must first be willing to feel incompetent—and then work your way through it. That’s when the transformation begins: when you get lost, then find your way. When you stumble, but get back up, with a new sense of purpose.
Study abroad is often painted as a whirlwind of travel, hopping from one country to the next, checking off bucket lists, and snapping pictures for social media. But the truth is, study abroad isn’t about flying from place to place in a frenzy. It’s about staying. Staying in a new city, navigating its pace, its habits, its peculiarities, and making it your own. When you study abroad, you’re not just a tourist. You are, in many ways, learning how to create a home away from home. And this is where the real beauty lies. It’s in the small moments—the quiet mornings in a café where you finally understand the menu, the awkward conversations that turn into genuine friendships, the daily routine that starts to feel comfortable even though you are thousands of miles from where you began. This process is not without its bumps. Homesickness will hit. You’ll get frustrated, miss the food from home, or struggle to understand the way people think. But through these struggles, you will learn the most important lesson of all: people, no matter where they are from, are more similar than they are different.*
While the challenges of studying abroad are often transformative, they are also real. Navigating a foreign culture can feel isolating. Sometimes, you’ll wonder if you’ve made the right choice. It’s in these moments that the role of support becomes critical. It’s not about solving the problem for you—it’s about offering the tools, the confidence, and the encouragement to work through it yourself. Programs, family, and counselors play a vital role, not by rescuing you from your challenges, but by helping you find your own path through them. Therapy, in this context, can be a lifeline. It provides a space to reflect on how the experience is shaping you, to understand your frustrations, and to appreciate the growth that comes from them. Through therapy, students can process the emotional rollercoaster that studying abroad often entails, and begin to see themselves as citizens of the world—individuals who carry pieces of many cultures within them.
When you return home after studying abroad, it’s easy to slip back into your old life as if nothing changed. But the truth is, you’ve changed. The experience doesn’t just end when you board the plane back. It lingers, quietly transforming you into someone who has seen the world through different eyes. The lessons learned abroad—of resilience, empathy, and cultural understanding—aren’t just temporary souvenirs. They are the seeds of a mindset that resists the divisive forces of nationalism and “otherness.” The more you understand other cultures, the less you fear them. And that shift—whether you realize it immediately or not—will make you a more compassionate, thoughtful global citizen.
In a time when the world seems increasingly divided, when nationalism is making many retreat into themselves, study abroad offers an invitation: to break down the walls and see the world through a different lens. It’s not just about learning the history of another country or enjoying its food and art; it’s about understanding the people behind it. It’s about realizing that the things that make us different are often just the surface. At our core, we share the same fears, dreams, and hopes for a better future. Studying abroad is an antidote to the fear of the “other.” It teaches us to stay and learn rather than rush to conquer. It reminds us that the world is not a series of isolated islands, but a web of interconnected experiences, identities, and cultures. It’s an experience that makes you understand that there is no place for "isms"—no place for divisions based on nationality, ethnicity, or religion. Instead, there is only the shared, human experience that transcends borders. So, the next time you’re standing in a new city, unsure of yourself, remember: you’re not just a traveler passing through. You’re a student of the world, building a new home, one step at a time. And when you return home, you carry with you a piece of every place you’ve been—forever connected to the people, the stories, and the cultures that made you who you are today. In this ever-changing world, that is the greatest gift of all.