Ok, life in a different country. Bro it's hard. Really hard. I had an idealised perspective of what France was gonna look like for me and man I was off, wayyyyyy off. I think it would have been like somewhat of what I'd imagined if life and Rona hadn't had happened.
Connection is key and something I wish I thought more about when I first got here. I'm not the type of person to reach out to ppl etc if I'm going through something, but if you are reach out to the student support team at your home uni, your year abroad tutor or a classmate. Chat to them a bit about what's going on with you and things that are having an impact on your life rn/are affecting your studies. It's ok to let uni know if you're getting stressed over deadlines and balancing workloads and real life. Think there should be some kind of award for the amount of ECC's (extensions) I've had to apply for this last term lmao. But it's ok because they understand that.
You're in a different country, probably away from family and friends, you now have to speak in a completely different language 24/7 which is nothing like the textbooks. You have to learn a new culture, learn the norms, social behaviours, social etiquette, transport routes etc. Just a heads up you are probably gonna get a little overwhelmed by it all and have to psych yourself up just to go say 'Merci, Bonne journeé' to Pierre down the road after buying your baguette. then you'll probably say it in not the best French accent you've ever done in your life and then spend the next 15mins on the way back home questioning your life if you can't even say Merci in a decent accent.
Be cautious about people taking advantage too because you're foreign and French clearly isn't your native language. You didn't grow up in France, you haven't lived in the same culture as these guys have, you're out of the loop on the slang and the norms of what people our age do/don't do, just try and keep your wits about you and check the motives people have for getting closer to you. Just a pre-warning that people might use you for a good grade or some entertainment to fill the time.
Not to be all depressing but enjoy that wake up call.
Mental health is obviously a big one so making sure you have some connections back at home, with people that can speak the same language as you is key. From my experience having a regular catch up with someone every week has been amazing, chatting with family to keep you somewhat grounded in who you are, spending more time with friends and travelling, creating routines and being organised etc has really helped me pull through last semester. Oh and a bit of working out is good for the body and mind and all that. Get in touch with whatever uni you're at and see if you can register with their uni doctors, if you're on a placement get some medical insurance and register yourself with a local doctor and don't forget to claim that $$$$$$ back because its EXPENSIVE.
It's ok to go home if you need to/can. Don't feel pressured to stay in the country you're at until the end of your placement, your mental health is more important x
Having said that when you do feel ok again, make the most of this experience and the time you have in this country and the fact that this opportunity might not come again. Go explore more of the city you're living in, I guarantee there's so much more you haven't seen of it yet. Go on weekend trips or day trips to those weird ass towns you've heard of or seen pop-up on a train journey before. They're the best memories I've made with my mates here and are the places I've felt the happiest so give it a lil go for me :)
scanning my brain for if there's more I want to share/write about but equally don't want to make this blog post too long so I'll leave it here for now :P.
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