When I started my French and German degree the year abroad felt like an exciting possibility in the distant future. Having fully settled into Oxford life by my second year, preparing to uproot my life and move to a foreign country alone was a daunting prospect. At the faculty information session, a student who had been deported stood in front of us and begged us not to follow in his footsteps — for many students the year had either been one huge disappointment or a life-changing rite of passage. I am so grateful to say I think mine was the latter. So, what do I wish I’d known before embarking on my year abroad?
Visas are a nightmare
Firstly, I wish somebody had warned me how terribly difficult it would be to obtain a visa. If you’re not lucky enough to have an EU passport, I would recommend starting the process as early as possible to not fall at this first hurdle. The TLS website regularly purges applications so make many copies of your documents and keep them well organised. Turn to other students for support, the faculty will be unable to help you.
Socialise creatively
When I arrived in a small town in the South of France, I was hit by a foreign feeling forming in the pit of my stomach. It takes some time to adjust to your surroundings but creating your support network will ensure that you don’t end up spending your year abroad hauled up in your room before returning to the Taylorian to scaremonger the year below.
Making friends is more complicated than at university. Be open to leaving your comfort zone. I joined a Nordic walking club and socialised with seventy-year-olds, all fit as fiddles and brimming with life experience. My French also improved from attending Bachata lessons. Attempting to follow sensual choreography and dancing with grumpy French men did leave me holding back tears in my first class but dance quickly became a part of my weekly routine. Putting yourself out there is important but so is embracing your inner lone wolf. I had a lot more free time on my hands without Oxford’s whirlwind terms. It’s of course important to recharge your batteries at home but try to pluck up the courage to take yourself out to the cinema or the pub. Immerse yourself as much as possible in your new town or city.
Send some postcards
I worked in a French secondary school in a beautiful, small ancient town called Orange, a much smaller place than I’d ever lived. This ended up being a blessing in disguise. When I visited friends in Paris it was as though the waiters could tell I was foreign before I even opened my mouth and immediately switched to broken English. This was not the case in a smaller town. I liked being a regular at my favourite café and sitting with a 2-euro glass of French wine, watching the world go by and writing my postcards. Please do send your Oxford friends or old flames a postcard, it’s a dying art.
Get swiping
Speaking of romance, the best advice I could give would be to go on a date in your second language. In our increasingly digitalised world, it’s simple to swipe your way into a bar with a foreigner. If you can find a love interest who speaks poor English, you will come on leaps and bounds. A French man will keep you humble and correct your elementary grammar mistakes and poor pronunciation. Finding yourself finally able to crack a joke in French and translating his favourite English songs into French over a nice bottle of red wine will be the most fun you’ve had in a while.
Allow yourself respites from your language
Although my language skills benefited the most from interactions like these, I also met some friends for life from closer to home. I arrived in France, adamant that I did not want to waste my year, in a British bubble. I would stand by the fact that only socialising with English speakers is an easy trap to fall into. However, the year abroad will be full of ups and downs, it is so nice to be able to turn to an English speaker for advice. Coping in your second language is invigorating but draining and connecting with people in the same boat will keep you afloat.
Enjoy it. Oxford’s not going anywhere.
Finally, I wish someone told me before my year abroad that it would benefit me to have a break from Oxford life. There’s a lot of negativity surrounding leaving as well as pressure to make it the best year of your life. The year abroad really is what you make it. My days in the library feel like a distant memory but a break from the Oxford bubble has left me feeling refreshed and ready to hit the books again for my final year.
