Going abroad can teach you how resilient you really are. One of my fears is that although I do well in school, that is all I can do, and I do not have the resiliency and adaptability to make it in a real world environment. However, after navigating a foreign country pretty much on my own I have learned I am capable of handling unexpected situations and that receiving help is not a weakness.
As soon as I stepped off the plane in Italy I already experienced an increase in my confidence. Nothing went wrong on my travels, but just the fact that I was able to make it through my connections and complete my first international flight by myself was enough to make me think that I was resilient enough to make it through the coming month. That is the beauty of abroad, every experience is new, so even if something goes smoothly, you have still successfully navigated a situation you have never experienced before. This constant sense of accomplishment does wonders for your independence and confidence, and sends you back to the States with new skills to apply to future unfamiliar situations.
While you will be able to handle most situations alone, you cannot do it all. It is important, and okay, to ask for help, especially in an unfamiliar environment! I ended up contracting food poisoning during my study abroad and had to go to the hospital due to dehydration. In that state, I could not take care of myself and handle the situation on my own, I had to ask for help. Lucky for me, I had amazingly compassionate roommates who were able to get me what I needed while I stayed home to rest, and a professor who helped me get to the hospital outside of normal operating hours.
An extreme new experience, such as visiting a foreign country, will teach you what you need to learn about yourself. It is why I personally wanted to go on a study abroad program. Although I had to learn a few things the hard way, I can walk away more confident in myself and my ability to face new challenges as I get older.
