My Experience Making Friends on a First Year Abroad Program
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Post written by alumni & Ambassador Abroad, Haimanot, who participated in First Year Abroad Barcelona!
Initial Anxieties
At the beginning of my study abroad journey I was initially both excited for the opportunity and nervous about making friends, especially after finding out my first-year program consisted of just five people. I found myself consumed with anxiety about this group. I couldn’t help but wonder: will we get along? Are five friends enough? I had no idea how the size of our group would affect my experience abroad. Not knowing is what caused my anxiety that I shared with many of my friends. A friend of mine with lots of experience studying abroad reminded me to keep an open mind. She said studying abroad is about stepping outside your comfort zone and putting yourself in different situations. It is a valuable opportunity to grow and after experiencing it first-hand I couldn’t agree more. She also told me that even if I didn’t make friends within my program, I could still have an enjoyable experience. Her words stuck with me, and I used her advice to make the most of my experience.
First Days
The first few days were a blur of introductions, orientation sessions and trying to get used to a new routine, I was unsure how to interact with the girls because we were all very different. I soon began to realize that our differences are what allowed us to connect. After spending time with them my nerves disappeared, and we instantly clicked. I was surprised about how easily we bonded and were able to talk as if we had known each other for years. One of the girls had a birthday during our first week and we decided to go out to dinner to get to know each other better. We sat at that table for over four hours talking, laughing and sharing stories from our hometowns. At that moment I knew I had four new lifelong friends.
Building Deep Connections
Anytime the five of us stepped into a restaurant from then on, we knew it would be hours before we stepped out. We were able to open up and really discuss ourselves and our lives before we got to Barcelona and our hopes for the future and our hobbies. We were all first-year students experiencing independent living for the first time together. I felt lucky to have a group of people who I could relate to and get vulnerable with. I never felt judged, and this group of friends really made my transition to independence seamless. My friends in combination with the CIEE staff and my host family made me feel at home and were an incredible support system.
Embracing the Small Group Dynamic
At first, I saw the small size of the program as a limitation, but it ended up allowing us to form deeper connections. In December when my program ended, I remember looking back at my initial anxieties, they seemed so silly. Believe me - entering this new experience with a positive mindset is what allowed me to thrive in an unfamiliar situation. My time abroad was truly a life-changing experience that taught me a lot about myself. Navigating difficult situations helped me discover who I was. Despite our differences in backgrounds and personalities I was able to connect with four strangers. My host mom even nicknamed us “the five” because we were practically inseparable. This experience reminded me that I should always go into situations with an open mind because things are not always what they seem.
If you are interested in studying abroad during your first year of college, you can apply here or you can schedule a call with an Enrollment Coordinator to start planning.