A continental overview of who goes where on their year abroad...
Europe
Scandinavia
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You were rejected by your 1st choice YA and ended up so far north you haven’t seen the sun in 4 months.
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You spend all your time telling everyone how cool the Scandis are and you’re obsessed with Minimalism.
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You’ve gained a lot of Fika weight and now think wearing a t-shirt in -5 is completely normal.
Southern Europe
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If you’re in the South of France, you now wear cardigans on nights out.
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If you’re in Italy, you have more Feast Days than you know what to do with and your bloodstream is 27% espresso.
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If you’re in Spain you’ve met a lot of Brits who couldn’t get into dentistry back home. You eat dinner at bedtime.
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You spent the whole of the x-mas holiday defending yourself for not having a tan.
Berlin
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You stopped wearing any form of tight clothing months ago.
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You are carrying more than 12 different currencies around in your vintage satchel.
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You can’t help complaining about British cafes because you miss the taste of “authentically brewed coffee”
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You feel uncomfortable when you can’t see revolutionary graffiti.
Ireland
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You forgot to apply for a YA so ended up across the Irish sea.
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You have a few long-lost cousins in County Mayo, who keep posting on your timeline, asking to go for a pint.
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You’ve been converted into believing the pub is a night out and will yell, “I’ll claim ya”, at anyone who challenges you.
America
North America
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You study International Business but never bothered to learn a language.
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You’re considering joining a fraternity/ sorority, but you heard about the Birmingham rugby initiations and you’re scared of Hazing.
Canada
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You’re a wholesome posh girl, probably from the south, or Cheshire.
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You were chuffed your BA club points meant you didn’t have to pay extra to fly your skis over!
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Daddy (or mummy – it’s a modern climate) has the dolla to fund your stay, so there was no way you were missing out on a year off.
Barbados
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You’re not too bothered about your degree, you’re just here for a good time and to hopefully meet Rihanna.
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You are now an expert at navigating the Bajan minibus-based version of public transport.
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You win when it comes to Year Abroad envy, as you pay less for a beachside villa than you would for a single bed in a Leamington Spa terraced house.
South America
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You pretend you’re working on your languages but you’re really saving up to climb Machu Picchu.
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You took a gap year but didn’t quite have the time to find yourself. Good luck with round two.
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You went to Patagonia, just to check that their native language is, in fact, Welsh, and you’re just as confused as the rest of the world as to why.
Australia
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You love goon.
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You’ve spent 65% of your budget on waterside brunch, rooftop cocktails and boat parties.
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You’re the Instagram envy of everyone in Europe. However, if you’re down south you’re just about to realise packing your baggage allowance full of bikinis/ budgie smugglers was a little optimistic.
Asia
China
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You realise on day one that if you want to be let back into your home university you better buy a one-way ticket to the library and take enough Bubble Tea and Sweet and Sour Pork to fuel you for the next nine months.
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You only communicate through QQ and have forgotten what Facebook is.
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You always carry bog roll and your mum will be pissed off when you get home and put soiled tissue in the bathroom bin.
Singapore
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You get asked if you’ve been to ‘That Rooftop Pool’. You haven’t, because it’s only for guests and you don’t have £280 spare.
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Everyone is jealous of you being on the cusp of South-East Asia (so many opportunities to find yourself!!) and of the constant 30-degree heat. They may not know about the 90-100% humidity.
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You’ve eaten $2 Michelin Star chicken and told everyone about it.
Antarctica
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You spent all your money in second year and googled “Where can you live without money?”. Antarctica has no currency, woohoo!
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You’ve slept on a boat for so long you’ve forgotten what it feels like to lie still. You will have to invest in a rocking bed when you get home.
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You are cold.
Worried about missing home while away on your year abroad? Check out our tips for dealing with homesickness on your year away.