Jack McGivern, Business Plus3 Germany, Summer 2026
While I felt pretty prepared to go abroad, I do think there were a few more things I could’ve done to enhance my experience. The Plus3 program gave everyone in my group and me a very solid foundation of understanding cultural differences, pitfalls to look out for, and how to follow general etiquette while abroad. Still, it couldn’t have possibly prepared me for my entire trip. That said, I have a few things I think people could easily overlook when preparing for a trip that I wish I had considered. Firstly, being aware of how full you pack your suitcase is something I would be hyper aware of. Traveling abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and anyone who has the opportunity to will likely want to bring back souvenirs and keepsakes from their trip. I personally overstuffed my suitcase, and I wasn’t exactly conscious of how many little trinkets I was picking up along the way. If I could rewind time, I would’ve packed a little less, making my life easier in the long run. Another thing I would have told myself prior to my trip is to try more things that you don’t typically see here in the US. I had some wonderful German food, and I am so glad that I had the opportunities to eat the things that I did, but I did also eat at McDonald’s a fair few times. Had I eaten more food that I very well may never have the chance to eat again, I think that I would have had a much more interesting experience. But the last, and probably most important, thing I would tell someone who is studying abroad is to be okay being uncomfortable. The world is an extremely diverse place, and studying abroad allows you to immerse yourself in all of those differences. Accepting that your typical comforts of home won’t be there and knowing that you’re going to be very confused a few times is half of the fun of studying abroad. Step outside of your comfort zone, do as many new things as you possibly can, and try your very hardest to go with the flow. Living abroad provides challenges and discomforts that I have never felt before, but it has also given me unforgettable memories and experiences that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
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