Homesickness, dealing with challenges on your own and having adulthood thrust upon you: these are some of the things I have experienced after moving to the other side of the world to attend university. Is it all really worth it? This is the question I’ve been asking myself for the past three weeks since the start of my second semester at NYU Abu Dhabi.

When I started thinking about going to college, it was clear to me that I didn’t want to get a higher education in my home country. I wanted to explore new fields and claim ownership over my future based on my knowledge and skills, and not based on my degree. In short, I wanted to get a liberal arts education, which does not exist in my country. Moreover, given Venezuela’s hyperinflation, having a monthly wage that covers both living and education at the same time is not a possibility there. Thus, it was clear I would have to go abroad to fulfill my dream.

With no previous family experience or college guidance, and a lot of questions and uncertainties, college abroad seemed farther from reality. This journey was not easy to say the least, but if you’re reading this, it means I made it — I’m studying at NYU Abu Dhabi. Therefore, one could say I have fulfilled my dream. So, how did I get to the point where I’m questioning if coming here was worth it?

First, I underestimated how hard it would be having to go through two days of traveling and being far away from my number one support system; my family. My first semester was the closest thing I’ve had to a honeymoon; fresh feelings, discovering new exciting things, dreamy days and all that comes with falling in love. But it was my second semester, which really made me realize everything I left behind — my family, financial and personal emotional support systems, my home — to live what I always dreamed of.

Now, with the honeymoon phase coming to a close, I was able to clearly see what I was doing: overloading myself, prioritizing getting opportunities over my mental health and socializing over my faith. I barely had any time left to reflect on the experience I was having. I found myself calling my parents every day, gathering courage to tell them I was “not happy.” This led me to a moment where I needed to stop everything — academics, socializing, extracurriculars — and check in with myself to ask: What's wrong? Why am I feeling like this?

It’s hard dealing with negative feelings, but it is even harder when you’re far away from your home and your life-long support system. This was a time that required recalling my main happiness base — the word of the bible and my Christian community in Abu Dhabi — not once, but multiple times a day. As a believer, every challenge that happens on earth I view not as an earthly fight — although it does require some physical action — but a spiritual fight. This means acknowledging that I cannot control everything, and I don’t have to. There is someone, something bigger and better than me, the real support system, that is God and his word, who provides me with the resources to fight and overcome whatever I’m going through.

Eventually, I started feeling not just happy but joyful again. But praying, surrounding yourself with good people, changing what you eat, taking vitamins and whatever else you do to feel happy or healthy won’t make a difference if you don’t give yourself time to process what you’re living through, good or bad.

I understand that not everyone is a believer, but what I’m trying to convey with this story is that college can be challenging — and not just academically speaking. There would be moments that will probably bring you to ask the same question I did myself; is going to college abroad really worth it? And just like we all have different reasons to apply, we also have different reasons to stay. But what I will say is that, if the reasons you had to come are strong and truthful, then they will remain and be the same reasons why you stayed. On top of this, new reasons will come. You will meet incredible, diverse people, and be exposed to new ideas and academic opportunities that you, like me, probably didn’t have in your country. If you put yourself out there and make the most out of this experience, you will have a new place to call home — NYU Abu Dhabi.