FOMO While Studying Abroad

If anyone has ever visited Clemson University, they know how special the place is. Not only because the campus is beautiful and the people are welcoming, but the atmosphere makes it feel like home and with family. So, when I decided to spend 5 months in London instead of my spring semester at Clemson, I was prepared to experience major FOMO. 

I think having the fear of missing out speaks volumes as to how much you enjoy that part of your life. Whatever you have FOMO about, it shows that it’s important enough to feel anxious or sad when you are not part of the scene. For me, I had FOMO when I saw pictures of my friends at a sorority function together, seeing their pictures at Clemson baseball games, or even just knowing they are walking around campus.

Much like my time at Clemson, I knew they were having fun, even if the moment I was missing was walking across campus to class or attending a cycling class together. Sitting in my temporary dorm room in London, I felt lucky that I had these feelings because I knew it reflected how much I cherish Clemson. I accepted the fact that time moves at a constant and everyone is the main character of their life, and I decided that I would continue my own chapter. I was well aware and excited at the prospect of figuring out the big city life and navigating my way around London.

At the end of my time, London began to feel like home. The streets I walked my first week were unfamiliar and dirty, and eventually became my favorite sidewalks on my way home from the tube station, filled with graffiti art and the sound of tofu being fried in the best Vietnamese street-food place across the street. I have memories attached to areas around London: Buckingham Palace and Big Ben were no longer sites to see, they were my familiar pleasantries on my weekly walks in St. James’s Park. I was able to confidently show my friends and family around the city of 9 million people.

I think it’s important to get out of your comfort zone for many reasons: to feel the FOMO and remind yourself of what you cherish, to give yourself an opportunity to make another home, to expand your mind. There were times I really missed home and all I wanted to do was go back to Clemson with my friends. But there were also times where I never wanted to leave London. I count myself lucky that I am able to miss a place so much. But I think the real important thing to remember is that in order to do greater things for yourself, you need to be able to experience new and potentially challenging or scary things.

I knew I was excited for London. I also knew that I would be flying alone to a new country all alone. I had to be confident in myself and trust that everything would go well, or at least trust that CIS abroad and myself would guide the experience in the right way. The value of studying abroad and pushing myself out of that comfort zone helped me make room for new experiences and love for new people and places.

Blog by Katie Himes, Clemson University

Interested in studying abroad in London? Check out available programs here!