What I Wish I Knew Before Studying in Barcelona

Studying abroad has been a dream I wanted to accomplish ever since I started college. I have been planning this experience for months. Then, in the last month before I departed, the realization hit me that it wasn’t just a dream, It was happening. Although excited, I was also worried about the uncertainty because studying abroad was so unfamiliar to me. So reflecting back, these are the following things I wish I had known before studying abroad in Barcelona.

1 – Everything will be okay

If you are like me and tend to overthink and worry about things, just know that everything will be okay. To be honest, I was quite scared because I had no idea what would happen. I was worrying over things both small and big, like “How will I leave the airport?” to “Where do I go in a medical emergency?” In the end, everything worked out fine. Even if there are roadblocks, you can always find solutions.

2 – Meeting new people is super rewarding

Throughout the course of my study abroad, I have met so many people that I have lost count. One thing I did not realize before is how fun it actually is to meet new people. You get to hear so many exciting new stories while you share your own. You may also learn a thing or two! Studying abroad amplifies this experience a lot because you are meeting people from other countries so they have way diverse perspectives.

3 – Getting out of your comfort zone is amazing

Back in Philadelphia, I am usually a person who likes my peace and gets irritated when it is disturbed. However, one thing I learned in Barcelona is that getting out of your comfort zone is actually A M A Z I N G. You get to learn so much about yourself because you are more open to experiences. I am terribly afraid of heights and would never imagine looking down at a high place. Instead of accepting that, I decided to challenge it one day and hike up the Montserrat. Yes, I actually hiked on a mountain and I still couldn’t believe I did that. The views up there were so amazing and worth it. If I had not gotten out of my comfort zone, I would’ve never experienced that once in a lifetime view.

4 – You will question everything in life

Being abroad made me question so many things in life. When you grow up in a place, you get used to it so everything seems normal day to day. Once you leave that place, you start to wonder if “normal” was actually “normal” at all. While abroad, you will start to realize that people do things differently and question it out of curiosity. For me, it was as simple as “Why is dinner served so late in Spain?” to complex questions like “Why is the US so centered around tipping?”

5 – Everyone has an accent, me included

Another thing I realized is that I have an accent! Growing up in America for most of my life, I was used to everyone speaking English in an American accent. I did not even realize that, I thought that I was speaking in “default” English. The truth is, there is no default English accent. While in Barcelona, I interacted with people speaking in English with all types of accents. This made me realize the diversity of accents used in English. Accents are just how people learn to speak, and they don’t make anyone different because we all have them!

6 – There will be days when you are sad

Finally, I want to say that not every day will be sunshine and rainbows. Before coming to Barcelona, I heavily romanticized it and thought nothing can go wrong. Actually, things can go wrong and it is okay. There will be days when I am very unproductive and just stay at home. However, it is important to not beat yourself up for it. Just be more realistic with your expectations because we all all human.