So How Was Study Abroad?
Get prepared to answer that question again and again.

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This article was published in Abroad View's fall 2009 magazine.

By Sarah Kessler

Study abroad consumed four months to a year of your life. You may have made a completely new set of friends, lived with a new family, traveled on weekends, survived communicating in a new language, tried foods you hadn’t known existed, and grown in ways you hadn’t expected. And now everybody—your uncle, an old professor, a high school Facebook friend you haven’t talked to in person for at least three years—wants to know, simply, “How was study abroad?” Looking for a response that can squeeze the complexity of your experience into a short small-talk point can be tricky. Try these approaches instead:

1. Be honest. Explain that your time studying abroad was a lot like your life at home—you had good days, bad days, exciting days, and stressful days. It wasn’t a vacation, and it would be impossible to sum it up as if it were.

2. Get specific. Ask the inquirer to narrow down his or her question. Say something like, “I was there for four months [or a year]. There were so many different aspects of my experience. Is there anything in particular that you’re curious about?”

3. Set up another time to talk. Talking about your experience can be a great way to deal with reverse culture shock and re-kindle the friendships you left at home while you were abroad. Try to schedule a coffee or lunch date with a friend to catch up. You’ll have enough time to explain your experience, and he or she can better understand how your time abroad may have affected you.

4. Settle for the spiel. Sometimes you just can’t do your experience justice. It helps to have a spiel prepared for the many questions you’ll get about study abroad, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for an “it was great.” Try mentioning a few of your major activities abroad. Was there something you learned that was surprising? How does it feel to be back? People ask about study abroad because they think it’s interesting. Don’t disappoint them. Even if you can only mention a point or two, your friends, family—and yes, even your Facebook friends—can still learn from your time abroad if you’re willing to share.