<p>Somehow 50% of Trinity studies abroad and doesn't lose out on much despite your cons. Everybody is overwhelmingly positive about their decision to study abroad. I'll break down your concerns:</p>
<p>1.) --Leadership in extracurricular activities. Would be pretty much losing an entire year, because you can't be in leadership for a semester.</p>
<p>It depends on what particular activity. If it's DSG, then yes, you probably can't be in a leadership position for just one semester. I was VP on a club sports team and they just gave somebody else that role for the semester, and when I came back, I resumed the role. So, accommodations can be made for study abroad. I'd just ask ahead and see what you can work out. </p>
<p>--Missing Duke. Those of you who are students might understand... I just don't think I can pull myself away from college.</p>
<p>Ya, you'll miss Duke, but you get to experience something else and you'll be back before you know it. It'll also show you how much you really love Duke. Just don't study abroad second semester and miss b-ball season. Also, while I missed aspects of Duke, I did not miss the work Duke involves. 95% of people who study abroad say their academic workload was much much easier than Duke's. Unless you're going to Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, or a few others, the workload is a joke. The amount of work I did in London the entire semester was probably equivalent to the amount of work I did in a single week as a BME major at Duke. Not kidding.</p>
<p>--Weird transition after first semester. Making friends again? Living in a different place (Central, gahhh)?</p>
<p>Since 50% of Trinity studies abroad, I'd imagine many of your friends will be and they'll be back when you are back. Central isn't the worst in the world - you can survive for one semester. I got lucky and got a 2-bedroom on central with somebody else who was also studying abroad first semester. Others I know entered the lottery and got to live off campus. Worse things can happen than living on Central.</p>
<p>--Missing job opportunities for summer with deadlines in the fall. I don't know of any off the top of my head because I haven't applied for a job before, but anyone know?</p>
<p>You're talking about studying abroad first semester junior year, right? The majority of after graduation job interviews first semester are for seniors, so you'll be back for that. However, there are interviews for internships for juniors. 99% of the companies that interview in the fall for internships, also interview in the spring because they know many people will be gone. All the big firms have at least two recruiting cycles per academic year - and thus have both a fall and a spring deadline. Actually, some companies don't even bother coming in the fall at all since they want to get as many applicants as they can in the spring. If there is an extraordinary circumstance of a company having only a fall deadline, I'm sure you could submit a resume and get a phone interview or they'll just wait until you get back.</p>
<p>--Somehow I feel like it's an odd breaking point/disruption in the otherwise linear track for college things. Thoughts? I know, it was vague. Basically, kind of like the transitioning into second semester again thing.</p>
<p>Academically, possibly (b/c you'll not be used to so much work when you get back to Duke), but otherwise, not in my experience. I've heard a few cases of people suffering from "culture shock" when they come back and need to get accustomed to things once again, but that is usually for people who went to a third world country. Coming from England, I experienced nothing of the sort and transitioning back to Duke was a breeze - socially, academically, and in every other way. I wouldn't worry about it.</p>