Why You Should Study Abroad
Do you take the last cookie from the cookie jar? I have been wonderstruck by the phenomenon of cookie platter etiquette and the shared fear of taking the last cookie. The fascinating psychology behind this social behavior discusses human behavior beyond the effect of supply and demand. It concludes that though there is an over-supply of cookies when there is just one left, most people tend to resist the urge to take it. But what happens when someone takes only half of the last cookie, chivalrously leaving the other half for another to enjoy. Will this decrease the appeal of the cookie because it is no longer a full cookie? What causes cookie platter etiquette to differ? Does it vary for people living in Belgium? Germany? What about Serbia?
Through my experience living in multiple countries, with a family of strangers, in a language I did not speak, I learned the varieties of cultural etiquette, education systems and medical care, and experienced many moments of truth. While living as a foreign exchange student in Belgium, I conquered my fears of using incorrect etiquette and lack of communication and inclusion. I learned more about myself and the culture than I could have ever imagined. I had thrown myself into a completely foreign lifestyle, learned new customs, and learned what the world looked like from entirely new perspectives. I even recently returned to Belgium to reunite with my family and friends. Though people had grown and accumulated their own experiences, the cookie platter etiquette that I had learned years before, had remained comfortably familiar exuding the warm feeling of home.
During the outbreak of COVID-19, I was studying abroad for a semester in Germany at the University of Regensburg. I improved my language proficiency, took courses in Neuroscience, and remained attentive to the cookie platter etiquette while staying in the homes of locals. The feeling of sonder I encountered when in quarantine in a foreign country was an indescribable moment of truth. I experienced the contrasting response to the pandemic of European countries compared to that of the U.S. This comparison, I brought back and presented as the President of the German Club at Wheaton College. I took the initiative to expand awareness and understanding of the unique aspects of the German culture to Wheaton students as a returner post-program. I continue to use storytelling to make the indescribable, understandable, and easily empathized with.
Not only was studying abroad a learning and cultural experience, but it was also a moment of truth and self-reflection that taught me how I integrate myself into contrasting cultures and acclimate to new lifestyles. I enjoy developing collaborative relationships, improving language proficiency, and exercising self-motivation and resilience. Exposure to these various cultures has expanded my understanding of cross-cultural etiquette and challenged my preconceived notions about people and the places I have lived. I have discovered that both hospitality and kindness exist everywhere. Though in some countries, people may take the cookie from the jar sooner than in others, cultures are certainly more similar than we anticipate.
