Finding the Right Fit: Why I Decided to Study Abroad

For a long time, I was sure I wasn't going to study abroad. When most of my friends decided to go during the fall of our sophomore year, I had already ruled it out. I cared too much about my sport, my teammates, and the college experience I had built at home. I'd also watched teammates study abroad, step away from training, and struggle to regain their fitness when they returned. I didn't want that to happen to me.

Then I realized that most of my closest friends would be gone that fall anyway. If I stayed, I'd miss time with them, too. Why not take the opportunity to live somewhere new, keep training, and return to campus when everyone else came back? My parents encouraged me to reconsider, and eventually I did. Although I made the decision later than most of my friends, I ended up feeling more confident about going than I ever had about staying. My experience taught me that studying abroad is about figuring out what you want from the experience and finding a program that fits your life.

Start With What Matters to You

When I first started looking at programs, I had no idea where I wanted to go. My school's list had endless options, but none of them seemed like the right fit. Some programs were too large, some didn't offer classes that fit my academic interests, and others were in cities where I couldn't picture myself living. I felt like I would have to give up something important no matter which program I chose.

Instead of starting with a destination, I began thinking about what I wanted my everyday life to look like. I'd always lived in small towns, so I wanted a city where I could get to know the community without feeling overwhelmed. I wanted a good student life, access to nature, and a strong support system. Academically, I hoped to take interesting classes that would let me explore new interests without making it hard to keep up with my degree at home.

I also wanted to learn German. I'd taken four semesters of German in college, but most of my classes focused on reading and writing. I didn't feel ready to study science in German or complete assignments in a language I was still learning. At the same time, I wanted to practice speaking and get more comfortable using German in everyday life.

Thinking about these priorities helped me narrow my search. Using my priorities to guide me, I started looking for a place where I could have the kind of life I wanted.

Find a Program That Fits Your Whole Life

One of the biggest factors in my decision was skiing. I'm a Nordic skier, and I train year-round, usually 10–20 hours a week. It takes a lot of time and commitment. The fall matters because it helps prepare us for a winter racing season that starts soon after I return.

Leaving my team for a semester means missing not just practices, but also meeting new teammates, spending time with my closest friends, and benefiting from the motivation that comes from working together. I know that training alone won't be the same as training with my team, and I still have mixed feelings about that trade-off.

Because skiing matters so much to me, I needed a program where I could stay active and keep training. I looked for a place with easy access to trails, roads, and outdoor spaces where I could run, bike, and do other workouts. I also wanted to find ways to train with other people.

This might seem like a small detail, but it changed the way I compared programs. Studying abroad can mean different things to different people. For me, finding a place where I could explore a new culture while keeping up with my sport was just as important as finding good classes.

Why Freiburg?

After considering programs in places such as Stockholm and Switzerland, I came across the IES Abroad Environmental Studies and Sustainability (ESS) program in Freiburg, Germany. It wasn't even on my school's original list of approved programs, but once I found it, the other options became much less appealing.

Freiburg checked nearly every box. It's a student city with plenty to explore, but it isn't so large that I feel lost in it. I can get around without a car, reach nature easily, and travel to other places by train. The city also has a strong focus on sustainability, an area I'm increasingly interested in pursuing as a career.

I'm a Biology major, and I also do sustainable energy-related work at my college. Although biology remains an important part of my studies, I've become more interested in sustainability and building better relationships between people and the environment. The IES Abroad ESS program lets me explore those interests through environmental studies classes, including some that connect to my biology background.

The program also offers a way to keep learning German while taking most of my other classes in English. That balance was important to me. I wanted to challenge myself and improve my language skills, but I also wanted to feel comfortable enough to learn from my classes rather than spend all my time struggling to understand them.

Prepare for the Life You Want to Build Abroad

Choosing a program is only part of the process. Before leaving, I also had to think about how I'd handle everyday life in a new place.

Since training is such a big part of my routine, I plan to bring my workout gear and follow a training plan from my coach at home. I'll need to manage my own schedule and make time for workouts, even when my friends have other plans. That takes some extra thought, especially when most students aren't balancing the same athletic commitments.

At the same time, I know that studying abroad will change my usual routines. I'll need to find my way around, meet new people, and get comfortable doing things on my own. I'm especially excited to learn the city well enough to show my family and friends around when they visit.

For practical preparation, my biggest advice is to stay on top of program emails and paperwork. Download the apps your program recommends, log in before you leave, and look through the events and resources available to you. These steps might seem minor, but they'll save you time when you're already dealing with travel, classes, and settling into a new home.

I'd also recommend reading blog posts from past students and talking to people who know the program. I read student blogs and met with people from IES Abroad, which helped me picture what everyday life might look like. The more I learned, the more confident I became in my choice.

Choose Your Own Path

If there's one thing I've learned from this process, it's that you don't have to study abroad just because everyone else is doing it. You also don't have to rule it out because you have other commitments.

At first, I thought staying home was the obvious choice because I didn't want to miss my team or the friendships I'd built in college. Those things still matter to me, and leaving them behind isn't easy. But I realized that I could find a program that supported my interests and still have the chance to grow in other ways.

My advice is to think carefully about what you want from studying abroad, keep researching until you find a program that fits, and don't be afraid to reconsider your original plan. For me, that meant looking beyond the usual options and finding Freiburg. I'm excited to learn my way around a new city, improve my German, explore sustainability, and meet people from different backgrounds, all while continuing to pursue a sport that's important to me.

I didn't expect to study abroad when I first started college. Now, I'm glad I gave myself the chance to find a way to make it work.