Last weekend I went to a pre departure orientation up in Dublin, Pennsylvania. I had no clue what to expect. When I walked in the community center with my parents, I realized there was not a very big crowd. Turns out only 6 other students were there. This surprised me because the orientation was mandatory and I assumed there were more people in my area going abroad. That just made me realize how almost secretive this "going abroad," thing was. Most kids at my school didn't even know it was available for sophomores. I feel like if more people knew of the possibilities there would be a greater push to study abroad.
Anyway... in short, the orientation was boring. Some of the stories the volunteers shared about experiences were amusing but the most part was things I have heard before. It definitely wasn't worth the four hours (plus two hours of driving) that I spent on it on a saturday afternoon. That being said, I did learn a lot about culture shocks and ways to be prepared. It was also nice to meet some other students going abroad and hear their fears/concerns to know I'm not alone.
