When I imagined my life in Germany back home, I envisioned having a circle of friends consisting of Germans. However, since I am surrounded by Erasmus and foreign exchange students, my friend group consists of people from all over the world. While this is not an ideal situation for getting better at German (since we speak English), I am so grateful for the international family that I get to be a part of. Never in my life will I be able to say that my best friends are Canadian, Hungarian, British, French, Finnish, and Taiwanese. I have learned so much from my friends, but have realized most importantly that relationships are much more important than learning a language. Since I was raised in a very monocultural society in southern Georgia, being placed in an environment where so many mentalities and beliefs come together has been a fundamental factor in my personal growth. This experience is teaching me to relate to people who are completely different from myself and to challenge or confirm the values and beliefs that have been instilled in me throughout my upbringing.
If I could give future "study abroaders" two pieces of advice, it would be;
1) Don't feel like you can't be friends with people who don't speak the language of your host country. Remember, you will learn life lessons that are much more important than the language.
If I could give future "study abroaders" two pieces of advice, it would be;
1) Don't feel like you can't be friends with people who don't speak the language of your host country. Remember, you will learn life lessons that are much more important than the language.
2) Challenge yourself! Don't assume that everything that has been taught to you by your home society is ultimate truth. Use the opinions of others from other countries to confirm your beliefs or challenge them.
The views, opinions and positions expressed by the author and those providing comments on this blog are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of the Office of International Education, the University of Georgia or any employee thereof. The University of Georgia makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information presented by individual authors and/or commenters on this blog and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.”
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