I really wish I’d realized how much going abroad would be like re-entering high school. The most tempting faux pas is everyone’s biggest mistake: trying to fit in.

Because, as a foreigner, all you want is to blend into the background to better observe the culture. I’m going to assume you are this kind of foreigner, not the pompous ethnocentric whose goal abroad is to “educate” everyone else. Yes? Good. Moving on...

When you are studying abroad, the “seniors” are the local co-eds. They’ve stepped out of every foreign fantasy you’ve had, to stare coolly at your carefully selected a la mode outfit and mumble too fast for you to understand. You want so badly to be one of them, but no matter how hard you try, they either roll their eyes or suppress giggles when you test your French. Of course, as in high school, these cool kids are just like everyone else – preoccupied with their own worries and problems. The only thing that separates you from the pack is your cute new-kid-on-the-block innocence. They’ve been here much longer, so don’t stress when you don’t instantly “get it.”

In France, they know immediately that you aren’t French. If you try too hard to dress or act French, you will offend them. The French have a deep pride in their nationality that doesn’t extend to those without a lengthy French ancestry. No matter how long you live there, you won’t be French. For now, be yourself. I know, it was an impossible concept to grasp at age 16, and unfortunately it hasn’t gotten any easier. As long as you remember you are a guest in their country, you will notice more genuine interest.

Yes, you are the "freshman" here. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should limit yourself to the other freshmen, meaning those of your own nationality. One would think that being an American abroad would mean you would, by default, have something in common with the other Americans abroad.

Article Author: Stephanie Rasch

Stephanie Rasch is a Professional Writing junior at some random university in the Midwest. Her interests include reading, rock-climbing, traveling, dancing and skydiving. She hopes one day to master teleportation to avoid long lines at the airport and eliminate long-distance relationships. …

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