“Would people still study abroad if they couldn’t post about it?” This is the question that I’ve seen cycle through my Instagram Reels feed over the past few months. When I think about how my social media has been completely engulfed by daily abroad posts, that question becomes more intriguing. What really drives people to forgo a semester at Cornell and live in another country for half a year?
Personally, the decision not to study abroad was a really difficult one. As someone who loves traveling and often makes impulsive decisions when it comes to adventures, I could totally see myself immersed in a new city. However, while everyone was deciding which country to study in, I was still considering applying to Cornell Law School’s 3+3 Accelerated Pathway Scholar Program, which I would not be able to participate in if I had chosen to study abroad. By the time the application period opened, I had already committed to a full-year lease with my roommates and decided I wanted to graduate early — even if I didn’t end up applying to the 3+3 Program (I didn’t).
Since none of us studied abroad, my roommates and I wanted to get a taste of what our semester might have looked like if we had. This past week, we ventured to Madrid and basked in sunny, 60 degree weather. We took a red-eye flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Bajaras Airport and hit the ground running from there. For an additional 30 euros, we checked into our hotel early — a small price to pay for the chance to shower and change our clothes. On our first day, we mostly walked the surrounding neighborhoods, exploring stores and restaurants. We couldn’t wait to try MYKA, a Greek frozen yogurt place that kept popping up on our For You Pages on TikTok.
What surprised me most was how similar Madrid’s city prices were to Ithaca’s. My small cup of frozen yogurt with toppings from MYKA was about 5 euros, or $5.79 in U.S. currency, which is comparable to a cup of froyo at Jason’s Grocery & Deli. Drinks, calamari and a main entree to split came out to be about $27 a person at Patio de Leones — less than what I’d expect to pay for a similar meal in New York City. Maybe it’s the unfavorable exchange rate talking, but the prices felt pretty reasonable.
However, this is not to say that the week wasn’t an expensive one, and I can imagine that expenses add up quickly when you study abroad. Eating out, jetting off to new countries on weekends, treating yourself to new clothes and nightlife experiences — these are just some of the ways in which the cost of studying abroad can far surpass that of staying on campus, even if you pay standard Cornell tuition and opt for less expensive housing.
I guess the question now is whether I regret my choice not to study abroad for a semester. While I love my life in Ithaca, it’s hard not to wonder if staying here instead of studying abroad was a missed opportunity. Everything about Madrid was truly lovely, and the vacation offered me an escape from the grayness of Ithaca. But would I feel the same way if I spent five or six months there? Maybe, but the truth is that graduating early makes the most sense for me right now, and I have my whole life to explore new places. All I know for sure is that Tricount has single-handedly become my favorite app after this spring break.
Maia Mehring is a member of the Class of 2027 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She was the Lifestyle editor on the 143rd Editorial Board. She can be reached at mmehring@cornellsun.com.
