paris-semester-away studying-away

Coming back home after a semester away can feel daunting, overwhelming, and generally anxiety-inducing as you find your rhythm back in a city that never slows down. To help ease the transition of returning to New York life after a semester away, check out the following tips to help you find your footing. 

1. Re-familiarize yourself with the city, and your home within it.

Being in New York can feel overwhelming at the most normal of times.

As a result, coming back from another city with different social codes and expectations can heighten this anxiety. To help ease this transition, find ways to re-familiarize yourself with the city and NYU’s Washington Square Park campus. Grab coffee nearby, hang out with friends, or go for walks around campus in between classes. Even explore other boroughs on the weekends.

2. Get into a good daily routine.

Following a simple but concrete routine will not only help you feel grounded in NYC.

Set up a solid daily routine for yourself to combat being overwhelmed with the fast-paced nature of NYC. Get up at a certain time everyday, set a specific time to do your homework, exercise, and practice self-care. Make time to prepare or go grab dinner from a dining hall, and go to bed at a reasonable time. Sticking to a regular routine will help you feel more organized at the beginning of the hectic semester when returning to New York after a semester away.

No matter whether you studied away domestically or internationally, there are always ways to keep those memories and experiences at the forefront of your mind when creating your new routine for yourself. 

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3. Find ways to integrate the culture of your study away site into your New York life.

A key aspect to studying away at one of NYU’s global sites is the cultural immersion you experience throughout the semester.

Rather than losing that experience, try to incorporate it into your new routine in NYC. Prepare foods you ate away for dinner a couple of times a week, put up photos from your semester away in your room, or listen to music associated with your study away site. No matter whether you studied away domestically or internationally, there are always ways to keep those memories and experiences at the forefront of your mind when creating your new routine for yourself.

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4. Integrate your “Study Away friends” with your “NYC friends.”

One of the best aspects of studying away is connecting with the other students at that specific site.

However, it can feel as though you are balancing between two different friend groups once you arrive home. To avoid feeling like you have to choose between two circles of friends, try to integrate your friend groups to create a cohesive group of friends that can hang out together. 

Not only does this ease anxiety around managing spending time with various different friends, but also highlights one of the best things about attending NYU: the connection you make with the other students there with you whether in New York or across the globe. 
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Remember that as you come back to the city, you may be flooded with questions about your study away experience.

How was your semester? Did you love it? Your Instagram looked amazing you must have had an AMAZING time!

Questions like these can make you feel as though you HAVE to have had a very specific experience while studying away especially when you are first returning to New York after a semester away. Remember that a semester away does not have to be the highlight of your time at NYU. Rather, you are using it to learn about another place, culture, language, etc. Learning how you interact with all of these different changes to your life. Your study away experience doesn’t have to change your life. But in the event that it does, know that wherever you are, whether New York or Paris or Abu Dhabi or Shanghai or Sydney, you bring something special to that place that only you can bring! Enjoy the time away and enjoy your return home. 

You belong abroad and you belong here; wherever you are is exactly where you’re meant to be! 

Photos taken/provided by Sinéad Anae

Originally from the Golden State of California, Sinéad is a junior in the Steinhardt school studying Media, Culture, and Communications and Photography. While she left her heart in her hometown of San Francisco, Sinéad loves studying in the heart of New York City and taking in all that this city has in store for her. Some of her favorite ways to stay involved in the NYU community are shooting for Under the Arch – NYU’s independent magazine as a staff photographer, hanging out with residents as a Resident Assistant, and working as an Admissions Ambassador for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. When she is not in class, you can typically find Sinéad thrifting in the East Village, seeing shows uptown, or continuing her quest to find the best sushi in NYC.