Grüezi! For the past two months, I have been studying abroad at ETH Zürich in Switzerland! From swimming in the Limmat to hiking around Bachalpsee in Grindelwald, to viewing the vineyards in Vaud, to taking the gondola up the massif of the Diablerets, it has been an incredibly exciting whirlwind so far.

As I reflect on my time here, I’ve started to realize the little changes that have developed and accumulated within me. And I have no doubt that I am not entirely the same person who landed at Flughafen Zürich two months ago. 

I. Why study abroad?

A frequent question from friends and peers, both at MIT and ETH, was, “Why did you choose to study abroad?” Lots of my MIT friends seemed hesitant about being away for a whole semester, while most ETH students seemed a little puzzled as to why I would come to ETH rather than stay at MIT, even though ETH is also one of the best universities worldwide. I understood their perspectives and even shared some of their concerns. MIT is an amazing, diverse, and exciting institution, and studying abroad would mean:

1. Being away from my support network of family and friends
2. Living in an unfamiliar country for five whole months (much longer when compared with other MISTI opportunities)
3. Becoming essentially a freshman again (i.e. having anxiety about making friends, learning a new language and lifestyle, and losing my sense of self)

In that sense, studying abroad was exciting but also somewhat daunting. So then, why did I choose to study abroad?

II. New Environments

Throughout my entire life, I have been thrust into different environments, which have all deeply impacted my perspectives. From being the only Asian-American in the French Immersion Program at my elementary school to being the only STEM-interested person at art camp, to being a part of a diverse campus at MIT—being in unfamiliar places has allowed me to meet all kinds of people. Studying at ETH was no exception. 

My first two weeks in Zürich involved taking the German A1 Intensive at the Language Center of UZH and ETH and meeting my housemates at Sonneggstrasse 17. While learning German there, I met students from Canada, Sweden, Brazil, the UK, Egypt, Germany, China, Japan, and Portugal, just to name a “few.” In fact, I was the only one from the US in my German class, which gave me the refreshing chance to learn more about the world views, philosophies, and cultural differences unique to each of my peers and their countries. I spoke with several classmates and housemates about politics and current events across the world and learned so much more nuance from their point of view, free from the US-centric focus of the media back home.

The student body at ETH is incredibly large and diverse, as about 35% of students are from abroad compared to the 10% of international students at MIT (which is actually capped; I didn’t know this until speaking with a former outgoing exchange ETH student!). Although the gender ratio is pretty skewed, especially in computer science, I have received a large amount of exposure to the diversity of nationalities. Funnily enough, aside from learning some German, I ended up practicing my Mandarin with the international Chinese students here and my French while visiting French-speaking areas in Switzerland, picking up some slang along the way.

ETH also has a different style of academics from MIT. For instance, lectures can be in 3-hour blocks (with 15-minute breaks each hour), and grades mostly depend on just the final exam. Assignments are also less frequent, so the responsibility of keeping up with the material is primarily left up to the student. Compared to the grind of high school (stemming from the work culture of China that my parents grew up in) and drinking from the firehose at MIT, this style of teaching has not only allowed me to become more responsible for my own progress but also take additional time to learn the material. In contrast to the hustle and bustle of Boston, I’ve started taking things a little slower, listening to classical music concerts at the Tonhalle and going to see Killers of the Flower Moon at the Zürich Film Festival instead. I’ve also found a greater work-life balance (something I will definitely take back with me to MIT), which has given me the time to explore Switzerland, catch up on my sketching, and enjoy a mochaccino on a random Wednesday afternoon.

III. The Little Things

I remember back in early September when I packed my life into two suitcases and a backpack, said farewell to my family and dog, and boarded my flight. I sat alone in my aisle seat as the plane took off across the Atlantic, feeling completely unprepared, uncertain, and anxious about life in Switzerland.

Figuring out how to essentially survive in a foreign country was a little intimidating. This was the first time I had spent this long away from home by myself in a foreign country. The transition from the United States to Switzerland was a little challenging and different—almost everything closes on Sundays and lüften (opening the windows everyday for 15 minutes) is a common practice. As I figured out which supermarkets have the cheapest groceries (Co-op for eggs, Migros at HB for clementines, Aldi for rice and lactose-free cheese), I went around the city to submit all my documents for residency and rent. In contrast to my uncertainty about my future life and career, these tiny steps were almost therapeutic.

Because of my Chinese heritage, food has always been a large part of my identity and my sense of home. While there are a couple of Asian supermarkets near Bahnhofstrasse and expensive Asian restaurants around the city (a bowl of ramen for 30 CHF or 33 USD!), the Chinese food scene isn’t as strong in Zürich. While I do occasionally eat out and try some traditional Swiss cuisine, I’ve been eating salami and cheese for lunch, cooking new veggie recipes for dinner, baking shokupan for the first time, and making fondue at home with friends instead. Making my own meals has made me appreciate my mother’s cooking even more, as I realized the amount of time and detail she put into her recipes. Sonneggstrasse 17 also holds potlucks, and seeing my housemates cooking together has given my new place its own sense of home.

First time making shokupan, Japanese milk bread! And cooking for Canadian Thanksgiving with housemates.

During my time here, I gave myself a little challenge: to do something I found valuable every day, whether it be simply cooking to completing an internship application or hiking up Uetliberg. Prior to college, I had suffered severe burnout that continued into my freshman year, a consequence of the high-achieving expectations of growing up in a Chinese household and my own self-inflicted pressure. By achieving in small increments, I’ve developed a more fulfilling and empowering life, which has only motivated me more in my education and career.

As a result, living abroad has taught me greater independence, which has translated into positive effects in my daily life. My gut health has improved greatly (I suspect either due to the increased access to drinking water, decrease in stress, or higher quality and control of what I eat), and my anxiety has also decreased quite a bit. Being in a city full of strangers forced me to step out of my comfort zone and become more social. My sense of self has changed through these atomic habits as I’ve grown into someone more resilient, more grateful, and a little bit happier.

IV. Why Not? 

In all honesty, studying abroad had never been  in my “life plan.” It definitely wasn’t on my course road. It wasn’t until I participated in Global Classroom Amsterdam that I considered participating in more international opportunities through MISTI. Isabelle, our awesome program manager, introduced me to the exchange program between MIT EECS and D-INFK at ETH. When it came time to accept my exchange offer, I wrote a list of pros and cons on why I should study abroad. As I debated and pondered, my dad simply asked me, why not?

Looking back, that simple question has been the single most defining question of my life. For the past twenty years, I tried to justify my decisions, and if I couldn’t, my default would be to not do whatever I was considering. I would become anxious over little choices and the future, a common sentiment among college students. But by simply negating the question, I have changed my default from not doing to doing. During my time in Switzerland, I have continued to ask myself, why not? Here are a few examples:

• Should I walk across the Peak Walk suspension bridge at Glacier 3000 even though I have crippling acrophobia? Why not?
• Should I wake up at 5 AM to take a three-hour train ride to see the désalpe (or alpine festival) in Charmey and taste some alpine cheese? Why not?
• Should I explore more careers related to international programs and education? Why not?

This philosophy ultimately reflects the ethos of my Asian-American family. My parents grabbed every opportunity they could to give my brother and me a better life, leaving China to immigrate to Canada and then the United States. They encouraged us to do things if we were passionate about them and to strive for our pursuit. Being in Switzerland has only encouraged me to continue to explore, strengthened my character as a doer, and made me more excited for tomorrow. 

V. Final Thoughts

Studying abroad has been, without a doubt, the most life-changing experience for me, and it isn’t even over yet! It has been an incredibly unique opportunity that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone considering it. Not only have I grown immensely over these past two months, I now look forward to the long journey my experiences here in Switzerland have started me on. So, if you are ever wondering if or why you should study abroad, I hope you can think about some of the reasons above and ask yourself, why not?

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