Living Away

The journey might be the destination, as they say, but the destination is also a journey!

Simikot, Humla, Nepal - A beautiful misty morning in Simikot — A view of Simikot, Nepal during a field study excursion.

Bowdoin students who reflect on why they are going away, research their destination, and continually reassess their goals for studying off campus are able to make the best of their time away.

In this section there is information about external considerations--health and wellness, academics, safety--but internal considerations are just as important.

How comfortable are you with ambiguity?
What level of communication are you expecting?
How do you reconcile yourself to different cultural values?
How do you take care of yourself?
What is your risk tolerance?
How do you adapt to new modes of learning?

Your success away relies on continually checking in with yourself, reassessing expectations, appreciating difference, and remembering where there is support.

Remember also that depictions of study away, especially on social media, often only highlight the positive, obscuring a range of experiences and emotions.