100 percent of students “found” themselves
The University of Notre Dame famously ranks number two in the nation in study abroad participation, with more than 87 percent of students taking advantage of the unique opportunity. This also leads to 87 percent of students experiencing the crippling phenomenon “abroad withdrawal.”
The Rover surveyed 200 students who went abroad last spring. Ninety-five percent reported an “intolerable” level of depression and “FOMO” since returning to “the states,” while the other five percent reported levels that were “super intolerable” or “so so so so bad :(.” When asked to elaborate, most responded, “You just wouldn’t get it.” “You had to be there.”
Students were also asked about the quality of the education they received in their study abroad program. Note: We had to explain to many of them that “abroad” was short for “study abroad” and that they were supposed to have been enrolled in courses at another university. Of the 24 percent of students who did attend classes, 92 percent reported that they were able to get an A so long as they used ChatGPT for homework and remembered to bring their crayons and non-toxic markers to the final exam.
The Rover interviewed senior Ryan Eyre about her experience abroad. As a French major, Eyre went to Paris for the spring semester to practice her French in immersion. After some reflection, she realized that her French fluency had actually lessened. “I guess I was so busy traveling the world with my English-speaking friends, I probably only spent like two weeks in Paris. Ugh, but Morocco was so fun, hold on, I have some pictures…”
Eyre insisted that her time in Europe was still very educational. “Like, now I know so much about other cultures. In Germany, we tried these awesome beers while we went skiing. We didn’t speak German so we didn’t catch the name of the brewery or kind of beer… but they were SO good. And in Spain, we got to try this really good food, it was spicy and they served it with shots of tequila. I forget what it was called. We also met some really cool people at the clubs in Amsterdam! I didn’t catch any of their names, sadly. But yeah, it was super fun, I learned so much!”
The general state of dejection among returned students has led to the formation of several support groups for those suffering from “abroad withdrawal.” They meet on Tuesday mornings at 4 a.m., which they refer to as “10 a.m. ‘Europe’ time.” Each meeting begins with a five minute mourning period for the end of the abroad experience, including wailing, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. The itinerary then allows each grieving member to share 15 minutes worth of European anecdotes and present 75-100 pictures from their trips. Attendees said that this helps them to “feel like they’re still in Europe” and “numb the pain of missing the glory days.”
The returners’ afflictions don’t stop there. Many students told the Rover they are experiencing notable levels of anxiety due to financial concerns. When asked why, one student responded, “Well, I did buy like 17 flights in three months… But that was totally necessary. It was, like, cultural education.”
Two in three students experienced some form of food poisoning or sickness, while one in nine contracted prolonged bodily infections during one of their trips. Of the students who contracted an illness, 90 percent reported staying at a hostel that cost less than 20 dollars, several times in a row.
Despite the overwhelming statistics to the contrary, most returners claimed they were “100 percent happy” with their decisions abroad. When asked if her semester was worth the various personal, financial, and medical costs, Eyre said, “Absolutely, I would go again in a heartbeat. You probably wouldn’t get it, I just really felt like I found myself, you know? And…”
The Rover sort of zoned out and stopped listening at this point.
James Whitaker is a graduate student with the Theology department. Aware of the fact that he has now made fun of 87 percent of Notre Dame undergraduates, he will not be open to any criticism or pushback this week. Try reaching him next issue at jwhitak5@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons (edited)
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