宝博体育如何应对孤独与思乡 

当你听到“国外学期”时，你的第一个想法是 伦敦是奢华的周末旅行, 花式下午茶, 或者实现诺丁山梦, 你并不孤单——我也是这么想的. While these things definitely can be part of the experience, it’s also a romanticized version of 宝博体育. 实际, we’re all full-time students taking classes in a completely new country, 住在欧洲最昂贵的城市之一. 宝博体育并不总是光鲜亮丽的，尤其是刚开始的时候. 它会让人感到非常难以承受. 

在第一次乘坐地铁之间, 结识新朋友, 开始上课, 每个人的焦虑和 心理健康和福祉 处于历史最高水平. 

Having participated in a three-week study abroad program earlier this summer in 弗洛伦斯我以为我知道我要做什么. I imagined my transition to living in 伦敦 going the exact same way as my transition to living in 意大利. I wasn't prepared for how different my 伦敦 experience would be, however. 在佛罗伦萨, I was in a small program of about 18 students who were all from my home university, 匹兹堡大学. Here in 伦敦, I’m part of a program of about 50 people from schools across the U.S. I no longer have that instant sense of familiarity with the people around me. 在伦敦，我的班级里并不总是有同样的人. 在佛罗伦萨, everyone took the same classes, so I was always surrounded by the same girls. 因为 the close proximity in 弗洛伦斯, we all grew very close very quickly. 就像我的一群朋友从第一天起就落在了我的大腿上! 以这种方式, I’ve learned to prioritize 结识新朋友 and socializing during the past few weeks in 伦敦. 

应对孤独

A very common experience for students abroad during the first few weeks is a sense of loneliness. It’s completely normal to feel uncomfortable during your first week (or weeks) abroad – it’s truly an emotional rollercoaster. 如果你不认识任何人进入它，你并不孤单! 大多数人都处于相同的位置. Try to remember that everyone wants to make friends while 宝博体育. 因为 社交媒体, it may seem like everyone already has established a tight-knit friend group right away. I compared myself to other people a lot that first week, wondering how they did it. It wasn’t until I talked to one of my flatmates that I realized most people feel anxious to make friends fast. It brought me comfort knowing that she (and others) felt the same way.

在诺丁山散步

As a major introvert, going abroad without knowing anybody was intimidating. I left behind everything that’s familiar and comfortable, including friends at my home university. It’s scary to put yourself out there and actively try to make friends. So, if you’re feeling the same way, give yourself some credit for the hard work that you’re doing. 相信这个过程! 

不要让恐惧阻止你探索你的新家

诺丁山波多贝罗路市场的复古服装

During my first week I was shocked when I heard about how my flatmates would just go to see a play by themselves or take the tube to a whole different neighborhood and explore. 它激励我鞭策自己. I always heard people talk about the Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill, so I decided to hop on the tube and go there by myself on a weekday when I didn’t have any classes. 最后，我一个人逛市场，度过了最美好的时光, 看到美丽的房子, 品尝美味的街头小吃. 如果你独自一人在公共场所感到不自在, I would recommend listening to your favorite music/podcast or bringing a book! 

诺丁山的色彩柔和的房子

想家是正常的

Some people who go abroad are lucky—they may never experience any homesickness. 但对大多数人来说，这只是体验的一部分. 有时我甚至为想家而感到内疚. 最后我想，“你在伦敦! 大多数人会立刻和你交换位置!“但这并不意味着离开家总是很容易. Whenever I feel a sense of homesickness creeping in, I reach out to my family for support. 用视频聊天或者甚至只是发短信都是非常舒服的. One mantra that I like to tell myself is, “it’ll be there when you get back.“我想家的事, 比如我的家人, 我的朋友们, 还有我的家乡大学, 这学期结束的时候会在那里吗. 这句咒语帮助我扎根, and it reminds me that 宝博体育 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I am so lucky to be part of. Everything will be there when I get back, but I will never have this experience in 伦敦 again! This is my new home for the next few months, and I’m learning to appreciate it more each day. 

There are so many vendors selling flowers at the Portobello Road Market

虽然这可能是一场情绪过山车, 在国外的头几个星期是非常有益的经历. Learning to adjust to a new home and a new routine are great skills to have. 总有那么几天，你会觉得自己站在了世界之巅, 当你感到不舒服和孤独的时候. I’m learning to embrace all these feelings, good or bad, that come with the study abroad experience.