Fall Semester and FOMO

Fall semester on the Forty Acres rings to the cheers roaring from the 100,000 attendees at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium as football season kicks off. Students convene on the lawn to reminisce over their summer vacations, and everyone swelters in the heat on their way to class.  

Though these fun scenarios mark the Longhorn experience, the fear of missing out (FOMO) should not deter you from studying abroad. Unless you are an upperclassman at the time of your travel, football games and fairs will be waiting for you upon your return. And if you are an upperclassman, relish in the fact that you’ve already experienced the greatness of fall at The University of Texas at Austin. 

Remember that the opportunities presented by studying abroad during the fall semester are invaluable compared to FOMO: Spending fall in Paris comes with the excitement surrounding Fashion Week. You can take advantage of the fresh fall weather in Colombia by hiking the Andes mountains. When the rain takes over, you can explore the beautiful works of art at the Fine Arts Museum in Taipei, Taiwan. 

If you want to go somewhere that will remind you of your home, consider the southern hemisphere, as their spring lines up with our fall calendar, and warm weather will persist during your stay. Students who study in continents like South America, Australia or Africa can soak up the sun on the beach or even enjoy a surf lesson.  

It’s also important to consider the fact that attending a university abroad can save you money if the cost of living in your destination country is less expensive than living in Austin. This provides you with an opportunity to save money for the following semester’s events, like basketball season, spring break and graduation. 

Although fall on UT Austin’s campus can be fun, the latter months of the year can be even better when you spend them somewhere abroad. 

Bryn Palmer is an Education Abroad Peer Mentor providing support to students interested in studying abroad. Learn about this position and its services on the Peer Mentors Program webpage.