Before I transferred to Brown, I went to a business school in Madrid. I remember running into American college students every now and then, at the bar or a cafe, traveling in packs. Whenever I asked them about how they’re enjoying Spain, they would respond back with a mishmash of experiences involving drugs in Ibiza or benders in Barcelona. While partying is undoubtedly a prominent part of Spanish life, I was saddened by the many aspects of Spanish culture I felt that Americans were ignoring, from its rich history and architecture to its vibrant social justice scene.
But this isn’t a unique experience — studies have shown the shortcomings of specific study abroad programs in truly immersing students in their host country. These shortcomings should serve as a wake up call to college students and especially us Brunonians, who enjoy such robust cultural exchange opportunities, to focus on the core mission of these experiences: to learn about someone else’s country, community and culture. As applications for study abroad approach, Brown students should take these cultural exchange mediums seriously — they provide students with a once in a lifetime opportunity to make international friends, learn a language and develop a personal stake in world affairs.
Considering the comparatively lax drinking laws and stronger night life culture in Europe and other popular abroad destinations, I don’t blame the American college students who view study abroad as an opportunity to experience robust nightlife. At Brown, this is further reflected in some of our most popular programs, with top destinations including Copenhagen and Amsterdam — both of which are listed in the top 15 best places to party in Europe. Students have been found to participate far more in activities associated with partying and nightlife when they’re abroad — one survey found that half of its respondents drank more alcohol while abroad, and one in nine tried a controlled drug for the first time.
Another contributing factor is the so-called “American bubble,” referring to the tendency for college students abroad to stick with other Americans while exploring a new country. This is partly the fault of U.S. programs themselves, which tend to optimize peer-group contact, limiting opportunities to interact with locals. For instance, Brown’s program in Copenhagen is through the Danish Institute for Study Abroad. They operate their own, independent classes, curriculum and scheduling, separate from local universities, making it difficult for Brunonians to expand their social circles. But the issue also lies with American students themselves, who oftentimes let obstacles like language barriers limit how much they try to connect with the local community. For instance, only a mere 15% of American college students studying abroad in Italy reported interacting continuously with Italians. The majority never even interacted with locals or did so sparingly.
Having fun with your friends or familiar Americans is a great general goal to have when you’re abroad, and can lead you to some impactful or unique experiences, but it shouldn’t be the only goal. Being with your peer group from your school or your friends is a great way to gain confidence to explore the country you’re in and provide necessary safety circles in an unknown city. But these benefits shouldn’t limit your ability to branch outside the American bubble.
And while partying and indulging in night life can definitely be a form of cultural immersion, focusing too much on this aspect of a country or incorporating it into decisions about where to study will ultimately limit how holistically you can actually engage with a culture. It boils your experience down to that singular goal, neglecting the diverse beauties that another country can offer.
But what does it mean to truly immerse yourself in a culture? While there is no simple answer to that, the general goal should be to expand your local network as much as possible outside of nightlife activities. What this looks like will depend on where you study, but there are a few practices that will enrich your time abroad wherever you are.
For one, try not to travel too much. This may sound lame, I mean when else are you going to be young and free in Europe? But spending every weekend in a different country will give you almost no time to truly explore the one you chose to learn about. Some of my best experiences in Spain were in the city I lived in: exploring parks, meeting new friends and attending fun events. Try to stay and build a genuine relationship with the entire community you find yourself in, not just the only you’ll find at a nightclub. You’ll find yourself with a deeper personal connection that will leave you romanticising your city forever, as opposed to simply a home-base.
It would also be helpful to learn the language as much as you can. Be adamant about practicing with locals, download Duolingo and start watching popular tv shows from that country. There will likely not be another opportunity in your life to focus so thoroughly on learning a foreign language without any other distractions — take advantage of it. Being able to speak another language will be useful when applying for jobs, and more generally for communicating in an increasingly globalized world — plus it’s a cool thing to brag about.
Finally, investigate places to volunteer or local community groups that you could join. Ironically, some of the best friends I made as a Muslim were Spanish mothers volunteering with me at the Catholic Church. Locals can be very nice, welcoming and curious and provide a direct avenue to learn about their culture first-hand — a connection that could only be formed if you push yourself beyond typical study abroad activities and habits. You might even be able to have some concerned Spanish moms of your own bringing you homemade Paella.
From marketable job skills to once-in-a-lifetime memories and friends across borders, there are so many benefits to be had from the study abroad programs that we enjoy. We should not treat them as vacations or a chance to simply go to clubs. By all means, party! But party with the community around you, drink with the locals who host you and learn from the country that has welcomed you. You won’t get another chance quite like it.
Shayyan Ahmed ’27 can be reached at shayyan_ahmed@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column toletters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
