Studying abroad 🌍✨

What no one tells you before you leave

Nicolò Branchi – CMO at wearefreemovers | February 19, 2025

Table of contents

  1. Intro
  2. It won’t be all sunsets and fireworks
  3. People matter more than grades
  4. Say yes
  5. Money is tight, but memories are priceless
  6. Bureaucracy: the final boss
  7. Study—but not just in class
  8. Let yourself be surprised
  9. What are you waiting for?

Intro

Do you know that feeling when you’re on a plane heading to a destination you’ve never seen before? Your heart is racing, your stomach is flipping, and your mind is a whirlwind of emotions. Well, studying abroad is exactly like that: a journey both outside and inside yourself, where every day is an adventure and every encounter could change your life.

Picture this: a sunset in a city you’ve never explored, a spontaneous dinner with friends from all over the world, and that rush of freedom as you get lost wandering through the streets of a new culture.🌇✈️ It’s pure adrenaline. It’s the thrill of the unknown. It’s the kind of journey you won’t find on any map, because the most important path is the one you travel within yourself.

But hold on… it’s not all sunsets and postcards. Because between one adventure and the next, there’s always that moment when you think: “If only someone had told me this before!”😱

That’s why you’re here.

Not to survive this experience—but to truly LIVE it. Here are the real, raw tips that make the difference between living like a tourist and living like a true citizen of the world. Because studying abroad is epic—but only if you do it with your head… and your heart.

It won’t be all sunsets and fireworks

In fact, it’ll suck at first

Let’s be real: the first days will be a mess. Homesickness, a language you barely understand, habits that make you feel like an alien. You’ll wake up and think, “Why the hell did I do this?” Totally normal.

The truth? This is exactly when you start growing.

Every uncomfortable moment is a wake-up call: it shakes you, shapes you, makes you tougher. You’ll miss home, no doubt. But one day, you’ll find yourself in a random café, sipping a coffee, and—without even realizing it—you’ll feel at home.

Here’s how to keep your sanity:

  • Build a routine. Even something as small as grabbing coffee from the same spot every morning helps you feel grounded.
  • Get the hell out of your room. Netflix won’t help. Go to international student events—you’ll meet others who feel just as lost as you.
  • Talk to someone. If you’re having a bad day, say it. To a friend, a roommate, a bartender—just don’t bottle it up.

Because homesickness is like a cold: if you stay in bed wrapped in blankets, it lingers for weeks. But if you get up, go outside, and start actually living the place… it goes away. Always.

People matter more than grades

No one will ever ask you what grades you got while studying abroad. You could ace every exam, but five years from now, the only thing that will truly matter is the people you met. Friends, future colleagues… maybe even someone who changes your life (or at least someone you make out with at a random party—who knows?😏).

Your network is your real degree. One day, you might land a job in New York just because you shook the right hand at the right time. But that won’t happen if you spend your nights locked in your room. Get out there, say yes to random plans, meet people. And don’t ghost them—some of the best opportunities start over a casual aperitivo.

Because in the end, the friendships you make abroad? That’s the real diploma.

Say yes

Even when it feels like a bad idea

Most of the best stories start with a stupid, random yes.

Say yes to that beach party, even if you don’t know half the people there. Say yes to the karaoke night where you’ll butcher the lyrics. Say yes to that last-minute trip with strangers who might just become your best friends.

Because here’s the thing: real life happens outside your comfort zone.

Some of your best nights will start when you least expect it. Some of your best memories will come from moments that felt like a terrible idea at first. Go out alone if you have to—trust me, you won’t stay alone for long. Try that weird local dish that looks sketchy but might be the best thing you’ve ever eaten. Travel. Wander. Get lost.

Because in the end, the moments you’ll talk about years from now? They all started with a simple ‘Yes’.

Money is tight, but memories are priceless

Yeah, being broke sucks. But guess what? Some of the best experiences cost zero.

You’ll learn how to stretch every cent, and that’s a skill that stays with you forever. You’ll cook with your friends instead of eating out, hunt for student discounts like a pro, and find ways to travel on a budget. But don’t let money be an excuse to miss out. Life doesn’t wait for your bank account to be ready.

You’ll also mess up—badly. You’ll take the wrong bus and end up in the middle of nowhere. You’ll order something weird thinking it’s pasta and get a plate of deep-fried mystery. You’ll lose your wallet at least once. And every single one of these fails? Will turn into a story you’ll laugh about later.

So yeah, budget smart. But don’t live with the brakes on. In the end, money comes and goes—experiences don’t.

Bureaucracy: the final boss

Before the adventure starts, you have to fight the most annoying villain of them all: paperwork.

Visas, insurance, documents—get everything sorted before you leave, because trust me, you don’t want to be that person stuck in a foreign country with expired papers. Keep digital copies of everything (Google Drive is your best friend). Losing your passport with no backup? That’s a nightmare you don’t want to have.

And one last thing: get travel insurance. You’ll hope you never need it, but if something goes wrong, you’ll thank yourself for it.

Study—but not just in class

Yeah, you’re technically there to study. But let’s be real—the real learning happens outside the classroom.

You don’t learn a language from textbooks, you learn it by negotiating at the market. You don’t understand history just by reading it, you feel it when you walk through ancient streets. And you don’t figure out who you are just by sitting in a lecture hall—you do it by crossing borders, meeting people, and saying yes to things that scare you.

Volunteer. Go to concerts. Get lost in a new city. Talk to the locals—they’ll teach you things no professor ever will.

Because in the end, the real exam isn’t in the classroom. It’s out there.

Let yourself be surprised

In the end, studying abroad isn’t just about moving to a new city. It’s about moving something inside you.

It’s stepping into the unknown. It’s the mix of excitement and fear. It’s meeting new cultures, new people—and maybe even a new version of yourself.

So go. Throw yourself into it. Say yes. Make mistakes. Feel everything—the highs, the lows, the thrill, the homesickness. And above all, let life hit you in ways you never expected.

Because the real journey? It’s not about the place. It’s about you.

What are you waiting for?

One last thing: studying abroad isn’t just some program, and it sure as hell isn’t just a trip. It’s the ultimate crash course in life.

  • It’s laughing and crying on the same day.
  • It’s getting lost and somehow ending up exactly where you needed to be.
  • It’s leaving to see the world and realizing you’ve actually found yourself.

What are you waiting for?

The world won’t wait for you. Get moving with wearefreemovers