kanojo wa hajimete no ryuugaku de wakuwakushite iru ga, sukoshi dokidoki mo shite iru.

She’s excited about studying abroad for the first time, but she’s a little nervous too.

Breakdown of kanojo wa hajimete no ryuugaku de wakuwakushite iru ga, sukoshi dokidoki mo shite iru.

• は: topic particle
• の: possessive case particle
• が: conjunction particle
• 少すこし: a little

Questions & Answers about kanojo wa hajimete no ryuugaku de wakuwakushite iru ga, sukoshi dokidoki mo shite iru.

Why is it 初めての留学 and not just 初めて留学?

Because 初めて is being used to modify the noun 留学.

• 初めて = for the first time / first
• 留学 = studying abroad

When a noun modifies another noun in Japanese, you often need の:

• 初めての留学 = her first study-abroad experience / studying abroad for the first time

So here, の connects 初めて and 留学.

A rough structure is:

• 彼女は 初めての留学で = As this is her first time studying abroad / Because this is her first study-abroad experience...

Without の, it would sound unnatural here.

What does the particle で mean in 初めての留学で?

Here, で gives the idea of because of / in the situation of / on the occasion of.

So:

• 初めての留学で わくわくしている = She is excited because it is her first time studying abroad = She is excited in this situation of first-time study abroad

This is not the location で meaning at/in and not exactly the tool で meaning by means of. It is the reason/circumstance use of で.

Common similar examples:

• 病気で学校を休んだ。 = I was absent from school because of illness.
• 仕事で大阪に行く。 = I’m going to Osaka for work.

So in this sentence, で connects the circumstance (first-time study abroad) to the emotional result.