Getting Outside the "Study Abroad Bubble"

Unfortunately, the “study abroad bubble” is a real phenomenon, among both U.S. American students who study abroad and international students who come to the U.S. and other countries. Many students tend to spend much of their time with people from their home country, speaking their own language rather than the language of their hosts, and traveling around with co-nationals.

Staying inside the “bubble” means students miss out on amazing opportunities to actually meet the local people, learn about their society up close, and develop a relationship. How can you expect to truly understand the local culture if you don’t interact with the local people?

What can you do to get outside the bubble? Here is a short list of suggestions.

• Set a goal for yourself to meet local people while abroad and to speak with them as much as possible in their language;
• Join a student organization or some sort of club or group, such as a hiking club, dance club, choir, Sunday school or church group, theater group, sports group or team, etc.
• Get involved in the local community. Where legal, perform volunteer work or help out in a service project;
• Read Preparing to Study Abroad: Learning to Cross Cultures by Steven Duke and practice the recommendations given there;
• Observe how people behave, then ask questions when you notice patterns that seem different than what you had expected or are familiar with;
• Arrange a "treasure hunt" activity with other students on your program to learn about the location and to meet local people. Ask for help from your study abroad program leader or director so you can know if there are any locations you should avoid when doing such activities;
• Interview local people or business owners about something you are interested in, such as the arts, sports, local businesses, traditions, holidays, etc., then write a short story for your college newspaper to report on what you find;
• Ask five people the same question about the local community and compare their answers;
• Get involved with a local church, temple, synagogue, mosque, or other religious organization, and attend local meetings or activities as much as possible;
  
• Come up with your own approach for meeting local people and learning about their perspectives on the world.
  

In addition, learn as much as you can about your host city and country before you depart. “Things to Know Before You Go” can serve as a starting point.