Studying abroad is obviously an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And while you might be having the time of your life abroad, that doesn’t mean there are things you miss about your home-school. Here are seven things abroad huskies miss having.
1. The Union
For many of us, the U is our sanctuary and second home on campus (well for me, it is). Whether or not you spend most of your days in the U, it is nice to know you have a place to go and chill between classes if you can’t bring yourself to go to Homer B. There is no such concept abroad (in Granada, at least) and it is something I miss dearly. But perhaps what we abroad students miss the most about the U? The taco salads, nachos, and mac n’ cheese.
2. The clubs/sports
Because UConn is such a huge school, there is a club and team for everyone and most students abroad are involved in at least one of them. These are things that none of us expected to miss as much as we do. When you’re at school, going to meetings and practices may seem like a chore but because it is part of our daily routines, it feels as though something is missing from our days here.
3. Free gym access
All of my fellow students in Granada and I agree that having free gym access is something that should no longer be taken for granted. Though some abroad programs do have this, many do not and with all of the cultural food and ~legal~ drinks we’ve been consuming, we need to work out now more than ever! On the bright side, having to pay for a gym membership is a motivator to go since you do not want to waste your money, so maybe this lack of free gym access is somehow a blessing in disguise.
4. Being within a reasonable walking distance to class
And to think I once thought the commute from Towers to Monteith was bad. My current walk to class is at least double that time. I usually do not mind it since the views are beautiful, but when the weather isn’t cooperating and when I sleep through my alarms, it makes for a hectic morning. Luckily, all of this walking is helping compensate for the lack of free gym access (at least a little).
5. Our friends
Obviously, going to a foreign country for four months and not knowing anyone going with you is scary. Luckily, it is a shared experience so bonds and friendships are formed fast. However, we all miss our friends back at school in Storrs dearly and can’t help but have FOMO seeing pictures of them doing stuff we would normally be doing with them in the good ol’ 860.
6. Tailgates/basketball games
Tbh, tailgates are one of the reasons I decided to go abroad in the spring. I simply cannot imagine missing tailgate szn; it’s considered sacrilege by Husky Nation. I am however missing the majority of basketball szn, which also is not great. I suppose we will just have to watch us win the championship in the middle of the night when the time comes.
7. Late night food delivery
Last but certainly not least, we miss having so many late night food delivery options. There is nothing better than having some warm pizza, wings, or cookies (or all of the above, I won't judge) at your door soon after rolling back into your room at 2 AM after a night out. This is certainly a queue foreign countries should take from UConn, as we think it’s something the locals here could easily get into.
