“Hey, did I ever tell you about how I studied abroad in Patagonia and Antarctica? No?? Well, let me tell you all about it…”

This is a joke that my friends and I crack often after my return to Harvard’s campus. Why? Because I never stop talking about how I studied abroad. 

Honestly, it’s hard to. During my junior spring semester, I participated in an environmental science program studying climate change’s effects on some of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems, a topic I am extremely passionate about. Fully immersing myself in a different culture abroad was a once-in-a-lifetime experience– I grew strong connections with my Argentinian host family, and I made lifelong friends in my program’s student cohort. Leaving Patagonia in late May and returning to the United States was a bit of a culture shock itself, let alone returning to Harvard. However, as a senior back at Harvard for the fall semester, I feel back in the flow of the academic and campus environment. Here are some things that helped me fall back into the groove of being a Harvard student:

1. Staying up to date with the OIE, Harvard’s Office of International Education. The OIE is an amazing and crucial resource for Harvard students studying abroad. Not only do they provide relevant information about Harvard’s on-campus happenings, but they also share and host fun events like Instagram takeovers for students studying abroad. This helped me stay in the loop with other Harvard students studying abroad, integrating me into a Harvard community off campus.
2. Regularly scheduling calls with friends on campus! It can be hard with time zone differences and varying schedules, but staying in touch with your friends at Harvard will make the process of being off campus, as well as returning to campus, feel a lot easier. It’s also good practice for staying in touch with friends after graduation!
3. Writing a letter to mentors, faculty, and staff on campus! During my semester off campus, I still wanted to retain a connection with professors, advisors, and faculty I had felt connected with as a student, especially my advisors who encouraged and helped me apply to my study abroad program. I wrote and sent them a letter detailing some fun stories and experiences that I wanted to share from my study abroad program with pictures. This allowed me to remain connected with these advisors during my semester off, and it helped me reconnect with them back on campus.

I know that the process of studying abroad can initially seem daunting for many students, especially regarding feelings of “missing out” on a semester at Harvard. These three action items helped me feel constantly connected with the Harvard community even across the world, allowing me to live more in the moment abroad without the fear of missing out. If you’re still on the fence about studying abroad- JUST DO IT. I wrote a blog around a year ago detailing some of my thought processes when deciding whether or not to study abroad here, but reflecting a year later, I have never felt more sure of my decision. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.