big sister blog

like i’ve said multiple times, it’s very easy to be pressured by the majority while in college. but, the most important part of the whole experience is staying true to yourself and doing what you feel is best for your own self-interests. if you’re someone who isn’t fond of the idea of studying abroad for a whole semester, do yourself the biggest favor and do not force yourself to go. you have your whole life to travel and if your school is anything like mine, there are always other options that allow you to get that experience with lower stakes. 

one part of myself that i take great pride in is my self-awareness. i know what is best for me, along with knowing when something is not for me (most times). so, when it came to going abroad during the spring of my junior year, i knew deep down that it wasn’t for me, despite the fact that all my friends were going and i would be pretty much all alone for that semester. the thought of this deeply upset me and i had no idea what i was going to do for 4 months alone in syracuse, ny. i even tried to convince myself to just take the risk and go with the rest of my friends. but something was holding me back and i knew it was not a good idea. 

over winter break, the idea of not seeing my best friends every day for a whole semester was daunting. i constantly brainstormed alternatives, but nothing seemed to fill the gaps that my friends were about to leave. i was glad to hear that my roommate and one of my best friends was also staying behind. i also had my older and younger friends in my sorority, but i was still upset that all of my other friends were leaving me. not to mention, the extreme fomo i’d get watching them all there for a whole semester. 

i ended up doing a lot of character development over that winter break, which played a huge part in why that semester was one of my favorites. i was able to fully focus on myself without any distractions. i started going to the gym consistently, which had a positive impact on my mental health. i established a structured routine that involved lots of self-care and not pressuring myself to go out if i didn’t feel like it. i made lots of memories with thalia that we’ll often look back upon and laugh about. i made new friends and strengthened existing relationships that i didn’t focus so much on when my other friends were there. coincidentally, the semester was also very eventful, which helped a lot. we won best bar school in the nation and had a barstool event with dave portnoy, josh richards, brianna chickenfry, and grace ‘o malley at our local bar. thekidlaroi also came to campus and had a concert nearby, which i attended and really enjoyed. 

this whole experience opened my eyes to the fact that everything happens for a reason and the importance of doing what is best for you. i ended up getting even closer to my friends abroad, as we made it a point to communicate and catch-up on a frequent basis. most people are taken aback at the thought of me passing up this opportunity, but standing my ground and being different from the majority makes me feel a unique sense of power to this day. 

that being said, if you enjoy the idea of studying abroad, go for it. but the point of this is that if you don’t enjoy that, please do not feel like you have to follow the crowd. it will most likely end in disaster, as this isn’t an easy decision to just say yolo about.

everything works out how it should and you never know what opportunities can come unexpectedly, no matter how daunting it is to think about. i’ve actually found that the best things usually come from making the hardest decisions. so, follow your gut, even if it means you’re deterring from the majority. amazing things that you never would have imagined will follow, promise 🙂