Fear is human. We feel it when we take a risk, try something new, and don’t know how the outcome will play out. When I was in high school in India 3 years ago, and it was time to start applying to college and shortlisting targets and dream universities, I was scared that limiting my choices only to the UK and US would be disastrous.
New country.
Different culture.
New friends.
As someone who enjoys everything about Mumbai, the city I’m from, I was unsure of whether this decision to study abroad would make sense as it felt like I was being uprooted from a comfortable life and entering a new, strange land to study and figure life out in.
As colleges started releasing their acceptances and us wide-eyed high school students started deciding where to spend the next 4 years of our lives, I was both nervous and excited. I was accepted into UC San Diego, a city that I knew about mainly for its beaches, parks and warm climate. But choosing to study in SoCal would mean being 9000 miles away from home.
That. Was. Frightening. But freeing.
Even though I was anxious about the initial discomfort and culture shock I would inevitably face, I always somehow knew that being uncomfortable in the short-run would pay off in the long-run. I knew that putting yourself in a situation where you feel perhaps slightly lost or out of place would eventually strengthen your character, force you to make new friends and find community, and become more confident in yourself and your abilities. And that’s exactly what it did for me.
You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.
William Faulkner
Looking back on my college experience so far as a junior, I have made friends from Australia, the Bay, Turkey, London, and Mexico; I’ve been exposed to a wide variety of cultures, traditions, and food (I am still very Hindu and very vegetarian DW mom) which has broadened my horizons; and I’ve developed time management skills by balancing academics with a part-time job and an internship. I’ve also learned more about various career paths for economics majors and utilised my university’s career resources and wide alumni network to land a consulting internship. Due to the individualistic nature of American society, I also feel I’ve become more independent and responsible (my parents may not agree with this one completely) by managing my own finances, cooking, doing laundry, and basically being an adult. Finally, and most importantly, I have been able to do what I said I could do. And the confidence I have gained from trusting myself in venturing far out into the world and facing my insecurities and fears is worth more than anything else in this world.
Bear the musings of a college kid but I feel that life, at least for most of us, is determined by the quality of our decisions. Fear, in this case, impedes our progress and prevents us from finding our true best self.
What is our best self? That is for you to define based on your unique identity, goals and values.
For someone who values learning, new experiences, growing personally and professionally, and being exposed to new environments, I am incredibly thrilled with my decision to study in the US. My family has been my strongest support system throughout my college journey, and even though I miss them, I have a newfound appreciation for other cultures and I can proudly say that I feel globally connected.
I strongly feel we should all definitely study or work abroad, at least for a couple years or for some period of our lives, to truly learn more about ourselves and the world at large. If somehow the opportunity presents itself to you, take it and don’t look back!
blog 