Barnard Abroad: Adjusting to a life in a new country

Approaching the halfway point in the semester, I checked in with myself and other Barnard students studying abroad, reflecting on the past two months and what our adjustment to life in a new country looked like.

Photo provided by Charlotte Hart/The Barnard Bulletin

By Charlotte Hart

April 8, 2025

Two months into the semester, Barnard students studying abroad are nearing the halfway point in their adventures. According to information distributed by Barnard Global at the Spring 2025 Study Abroad Pre-departure Orientation, nearly 200 Barnard students are studying abroad this spring. Barnard students have flocked to 31 countries, the most popular being Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy. 

As a student in the most popular Barnard study abroad program, I have been spending my semester in Copenhagen with the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS). Prior to my departure, I felt that there were few resources available with actual Barnard student perspectives on their time abroad, which made the whole experience feel daunting and elusive. One of the things I was most anxious about was how I couldn’t predict what my transition to a life in a new country would look like. Now two months in, I checked in with myself and two other Barnard students to reflect on our adjustment to life abroad. 

The Early Days

Most programs started in mid-January, where study abroad students got thrown into the deep end of orientation sessions, meeting new classmates, and adjusting to life in a foreign country. For me, these days were overwhelming but exciting. Deceived by a rare sunny winter weekend in Copenhagen, my new life consisted of exploring the city, meeting every person I could, and not getting as much sleep as I needed after moving across the globe. 

For myself and others, this was an all too familiar experience. Samantha Pratt (BC ’26), studying with the Consortium for Advanced Studies Abroad (CASA) in Granada, Spain, noted, “It has felt very much like freshman year of college, but to the extreme when you’re living in another country.” These freshman-orientation-like feelings did wear off once we established a sense of routine, but it is amazing to recognize how those emotions can be amplified all over again in a new country. 

Because of this, the risk for burnout is high in the early days of studying abroad, but overcoming that by resting and making time for ourselves was vital to feeling at home. “It's okay to take rest days, and you don’t have to say yes to every invite you get. There will be more time to get to know people, and there will be more time to travel,” Pratt added. Going into this semester, I told myself I would “say yes” to everything that came up in the first few weeks and then rest later. I followed this rule for about a week before getting sick and being forced to rest, which was not necessarily a bad thing. Like Pratt, I realized that prioritizing rest and routine was a better choice in the first month of my arrival. Building comfort in my new city was more important than doing everything right away.

Culture Shocks: Differences in Daily Routines and Customs

I remember scoffing at people warning me about culture shock, thinking that I would be able to overcome any cultural differences with ease, but I didn’t realize how much it would impact me to adjust to a city with largely different social and cultural norms. One cultural difference in Denmark specifically is their profound commitment to a work-life balance; everyone leaves the office promptly at 5 p.m., if not earlier, and no one encourages work outside of working hours. 

These experiences of culture shock also resonate with other students abroad in many ways, such as adjusting to the different daily schedules. “It's been definitely difficult to adjust to their schedule here. I don’t have classes past 2:30 p.m., because we have siesta time in the afternoon,” Pratt explained about the Spanish tradition of afternoon rest. “Tonight, I have dinner scheduled at 9 pm, and that's the norm. Most adults will stay up until midnight at least or later. Obviously, the going-out culture is very late. You get used to it!”

Language Barriers 

Language is also difficult. For European countries where English is not the dominant language, access to the English language varies. For me, the biggest challenge of living in a country where English is not the primary language is going to the grocery store; even after two months, I still don’t feel like I recognize the items on the shelves in Danish grocery stores. Even in countries where English is widely spoken, accents can be hard to understand.

“Granada is a smaller city, so a lot of people here don’t speak that much English and expect that people will speak Spanish,” Pratt noted, “the accent here is very hard to understand.” To aid in this linguistic transition, CASA Granada offers several different programs for students of varying Spanish proficiency, and most programs in European countries will offer courses in the spoken language of the country. I have taken Introductory Danish and Culture this semester, and it has been an amazing way of immersing myself in local culture and feeling more comfortable in the city. 

New Academic Systems

Carrie Crespino (BC ’26), studying at Pembroke College at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, noted another major adjustment: “the teaching and learning style at Cambridge has been very different from Barnard, and adjusting to that has been a bit of a process and something I had to get used to.” Crespino explained that “it’s more individualized, as in both more customized to your individual learning and interests. It's also more based on individual work that is not directly assessed rather than regular small assignments.” 

In Denmark, I have noticed tremendous differences in the classroom environment here compared with Barnard because the school system and educational culture are very different from the United States. In general, the Danish school system is centered on motivating personal commitment to learning, and does not emphasize testing and grades as much as the United States. Students are given more freedom in choosing their academic paths, and curriculums are focused on developing life skills and awareness of the world around them. In my personal experience, professors assign less work and prioritize in-class participation, and I’ve developed close personal relationships with teachers — usually calling them by their first names. 

It's also interesting to have classes where all my peers come from different home institutions. Each school clearly has its own unique approach to learning and participation, making for an exciting classroom environment.

Overcoming Loneliness and Homesickness through Routine

As time went on and the excitement wore off, I definitely felt the homesickness settle in. Amongst the culture shocks and longing for something familiar, it was easy to feel lonely and isolated. It was especially hard adjusting to time differences; since my family lives on the West Coast, finding a time within our nine-hour time difference where our schedules line up to chat is nearly impossible. 

This homesickness has been difficult to overcome, especially the feelings of frustration from struggling to identify anything recognizable in a city completely different from my own. In order to combat this, it was essential to find a sense of routine and establish places that feel like home. For some, this may look like getting out of the house every day and having set activities in your schedule. “I joined a couple of societies, and I’ve joined the rowing team. It's been so fun because I’d never do that at home,” Crespino shared, “I’m out on the water three times a week early in the morning, so then I am set up for a productive day.” It's also helpful to find places outside of the dorms that you feel comfortable and safe in, as well as make your new living space feel like yours. 

“I’m someone who really likes working at cafes, so I found a couple cafes that I feel really good at. Finding some spots in town that feel like my spots has made the whole experience more homey,” Pratt added. “I also tried decorating a little bit and making my space feel like my own.”

Finding Community

A huge part of moving to a new place means finding a new community. After being uprooted from the organizations and spaces on the Barnard campus that we felt comfortable with, locating places within our programs and cities that allowed us to meet people was super important. For me, this has meant volunteering at a student-run cafe, where I make coffee for locals and work with other university students in Copenhagen. 

Reflecting on her decision to join student organizations on campus, Crespino shared, “Everyone has been really kind and welcoming, even though we are just here temporarily. They have been really good about welcoming us into their community.” Every program and university has different community-based resources to take advantage of, and it is truly worth it to establish a place of familiarity in your new city. I have also found that it is a wonderful way to meet students and locals outside of your direct program or classes. 

The Best Parts of Being Abroad

Despite the anxiety at making a new city feel like home, it has been truly exhilarating to explore Copenhagen and Europe at large. I grew up in California, and moving across the country to New York City for college was also a scary adjustment but one I happily made because I was excited to live in a bustling metropolis full of culture and art. Although I have found Copenhagen to be immensely different culturally and socially from Manhattan, as well as much smaller, I have still felt the same rush that comes from finding myself in a place entirely new, and full of unique ways of living. 

Copenhagen is a wonderful place, full of vibrant cuisine, a robust arts and design scene, and exciting cultural events and practices to take part in. Being located in Europe means it has been easy to take weekend trips to neighboring Scandinavian countries, as well as longer trips to cities throughout the continent. My access to cultural experiences, such as seeing the artworks I’ve studied in my art history courses in real life, has been an immense highlight of my experience abroad. 

Given how small Barnard can feel at times, it is exciting for students abroad to join larger communities of peers, broadening our horizons and giving us the opportunity to meet new faces from all around the United States and the world. Meeting new friends has been a highlight of the experience and one of the easiest transitions for some students. “What surprised me was how easily I was able to integrate into the Cambridge community because everyone has been so welcoming,” Crespino noted. 

“You don’t really get the opportunity to plant roots in another place, another culture, maybe a place that speaks another nature. That opportunity doesn’t come up very often, especially after you graduate,” Crespino added. These words ring true in my experience, and I have been so grateful for the chance to spend so much time in countries I have longed to visit, not to mention live in them for months at a time.

What Advice Would We Give Ourselves?

Going into study abroad, I felt like there were several pieces of advice I missed out on. For starters, I wish someone had told me to slow down. While I do think challenging yourself to “say yes” to as many things as possible forces you to keep your mind open to any opportunity and push yourself outside of your comfort zone, it exhausted me. 

It’s also tempting to dive into social media rabbit holes about studying abroad and set specific expectations for the semester abroad, but it is in your best interest to resist that tendency and open yourself up to all possibilities. There is not one specific study abroad experience to strive for, and it is so much more worthwhile to tailor your experience to yourself, not what people on the internet say it should be. 

“I feel like there is a lot of pressure to have the best experience of your life, but don’t worry about having expectations going in. It might be the best time of your life. It might not be. Either way, you don’t need to plan for it; you can just let it happen to you,” Pratt noted. “You have a ton of things you can’t control, and it's okay to make peace with that.” 

Where We Are Now

Now, Barnard students have just about reached the halfway point in the semester. As the days speed by quicker, the sun sets later, and the weather begins to warm up, we have mostly adjusted to the culture shocks and life in a foreign country. Despite the difficulties of adjusting, I am so glad to be studying abroad this semester. My peers and I can all agree on how grateful we are to have taken this truly unique opportunity to live abroad and how it has been extremely rewarding and worthwhile. To put it in simple terms, Crespino encourages, “Study abroad. Do it. If you are considering it at all, do it. You won’t regret it.”

If you have any questions you would like for me or other Barnard students to answer in my upcoming study abroad pieces, please email them to bulletinedboard@gmail.com.