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New Study Abroad Location, New You

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Thomas Ahonen

Updated Jan 14, 2015
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See the full 2014/15 QS World University Rankings

With the launch of the 2012/2013 QS World University Rankings, we’re reminded that there’s a big world out there in which to live. One of the great benefits of rankings is the ability to look up universities that have interested you and see what other schools are around the same bracket internationally. It’s like the dewey decimal system, except these results can take you far from where you’ve imagined yourself in your 20s. If you haven’t imagined study abroad, now is the time to assess your options!

There’s something to be said then about how this part of your life sets the tone and trajectory for the social group you’ll carry with you for probably the rest of your life. An interesting article in the NY Times on how difficult it is to make friends over the age of 30 which I’ve recently read that kind of illustrates what some of my friends have gone though and it’s probably the edge of the pool I’m about to jump in (yes, I’m 29, you see… though sans all that family planning for now.)
 
Their main point if you’re a skimmer is: once you’ve gone through university and started your first job, you’ve actually accumulated most of the friends you’ll make an effort to maintain meaningful contact with for most of your adult years. So the thing to consider when ripping yourself from your roots and staring at the blank canvas of study abroad, is how will you behave?
 
There’s a perfectly hilarious illustration by this self-proclaimed dating guru of European men that’s been taking our office by storm… well, watch and let’s discuss.
 
Oh yes, she’s for real… (and she has a series of other cringe-worthy videos on youtube… look them up if you need a laugh… our writer Vickie has told us the hair flip really worked for her) and as much as you don’t want to take anything this woman says seriously, the point she’s trying to make (or let me speculate here) is that when you step into a setting where you don’t know anyone, you can be whomever you want without worrying about people you know judging you.
 
For this attention-hungry woman, it’s about having the confidence to dance like a maniac… but for the rest of us it’s probably more about realizing that you should carry yourself confidently and people will respond with interest. You probably do this on smaller scale now and don’t think about it… What’s it like when you start dating someone new? Do you behave like you did the week before or do you project a bit to show off the person you want to be? More importantly, what’s stopping you from being that person every day?
 
Considering the life challenges that come with age ( *cough* 30 isn’t that old, NY Times…), now is a great time to assess your personal hangups and study abroad with curiosity and confidence. Do not underestimate the importance of networking and forming friendships at university, because as the NY Times reminds us, it’s all downhill after here and you’ll need a good group of friends to take with you down the road to minivans and divorce court… or just the local bar.

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