It’s been 3 weeks since I arrived in Dundee, and I feel like I’m finally getting in the swing of things. Managing my course schedule that changes from week to week, being able to walk off campus without having to use my GPS, and adjusting to the late sunrise aren’t things that came easy to me, but I’ve made a lot of progress in my time here. The first week, I spent a lot of time going to welcome events and getting to know other students. There were multiple events every day, and the staff at Dundee made us feel so welcome. Living in the Heathfield accommodation also made meeting people and making friends easy on us because most of the residents are also international students on semester-long study abroad. I was amazed at how quickly my flatmates and I became a little family where we cook, eat, go out, and take trips together (stay tuned for travel tips from our weekend in Edinburgh!).
However, being an introvert, I was exhausted from the sheer number of new people I met in that first week. It was important for me to take time to be by myself and recharge. I remember walking into my room the first day and being shocked that for the first time ever, I had my own room. It was big (by Boston standards) and empty. I went back and forth wondering how much I should put into a room that I was ultimately going to leave in 6 months, but I realized I needed a place in this new city where I could go to and feel at home. With my 1 luggage and 1 carryon unpacked, I ran around Dundee to Tesco Extra and Primark to get essentials like bedding. I printed out pictures of my family and friends to put on my wall and look towards when I was missing home. I put up cards people had written for me around my desk for words of encouragement when I needed it and shelved any little gifts that I had gotten over break and could fit in my suitcase. It made me feel like the room was finally my own.
It may seem small, but I consider myself a homebody and was initially so scared to leave everything I know and am comfortable with. Coming to Dundee has taught me to not be so afraid of change. I never planned on studying abroad before I heard about this program, but I’m so glad I took the leap and temporarily uprooted my life back home to come here. I’m excited to continue expanding my knowledge by taking courses here that I wouldn’t have been able to take if I hadn’t come, meeting new people, and seeing more of the world.