Too soon or just right? Study abroad as a freshman is better than the traditional junior-year experience

Receiving my admittance to UM for the spring semester filled me with immediate excitement and worry. What would I do during the fall? How would I acclimate to campus in the spring? How do I watch all my high school friends begin school while I’m still at home? 

I was overwhelmed with anxiety when my mom turned my attention to UM’s Spring Start Study Abroad program, but I was also excited that my first semester of college would start 4,000 miles from home. 

Studying abroad freshman year helps students mature faster and is more beneficial for overall development than going abroad junior year. Going abroad as a freshman offers unique benefits that accelerate personal growth and independence from the very start of college. As a result of being immediately thrown into a new country and culture versus easing into campus life, students are forced to adapt quickly and develop essential life skills such as budgeting, time management and problem solving. 

Though spending the first semester of freshman year abroad differs significantly from the traditional junior year abroad model in terms of social reintegration, academic preparedness and personal growth, I was excited to embrace the experience. Stepping off the plane in Rome, the air felt thicker with the weight of an unfamiliar language, new customs and the realization of how far from home I was without knowing a single person. While most other students hung up posters in their dorms and moved in with their parents, I was alone in an authentic Italian apartment on Viale di Trastevere.

One trip in particular that helped me grow was our Fall break trip. In November, we were given a week off to travel. Given the opportunity to go anywhere, my friend and I decided on Copenhagen, Denmark. Our trip was the definition of a magical time roaming around the Christmas village until heading to the airport when things immediately took a turn. We discovered our flight had taken off three days prior so stranded, we realized we needed to make a plan. 

“Stepping into adulthood means facing moments where panic wants to take over, but you have to rely on the skills you’ve just started to learn. Each challenge of navigating missed flights, paying unexpected bills, or making tough decisions becomes proof that you’re more capable than you once thought,” explains sophomore architecture major Maddie Roh. “Abroad taught me how shaping that confidence carries me forward in life.”

Living and traveling independently fosters a strong sense of self reliance that most students don’t experience until later in college. “Studying abroad taught me independence and helped me step out of my comfort zone, ” sophomore psychology major Anika Pande said. “I no longer feel anxious about going to a coffee shop alone to enjoy a cup of coffee or navigating public transportation by myself in a different country.”

There’s no doubt that junior year is an ideal time for personal growth since most students already feel academically and socially stable. However, despite missing out on the traditional freshman dorm experience, freshmen studying abroad form strong connections within their travel group. Spending a semester abroad is a unique opportunity to meet people from diverse backgrounds who are all navigating the same experience. 

Throughout the semester, students grow close as they explore Rome during the week and travel across Europe on weekends. During the day, they attend the American University of Rome (AUR), where they are enrolled in four to five classes that transfer to UM in the spring. By the time students arrive at the University of Miami in the spring, they already have a built-in support system of around 70 peers who share their experience. This natural sense of community makes the transition smoother. “Studying abroad in Rome, I learned to navigate diverse social settings, which gave me the confidence to engage with different communities on campus,”said sophomore business major Ava Vogel. 

Adjusting to college and international life simultaneously presents challenges, but it also fosters independence and resilience. The experience of studying abroad as a freshman, while unconventional, offers a unique opportunity for personal and academic growth. Freshmen who study abroad return with confidence, adaptability and an abundance of fun stories that serve them well throughout college and beyond. Though reintegration remains a challenge arriving on campus without the traditional freshman bonding experience, the opportunity to return with a community is undeniable.