Excitement and Challenges!

What about your upcoming experience abroad are you most excited? What do you think will be the most challenging given all the information you have learned this semester?

Wow! Thank you for asking. You know, I am getting pretty pumped for meeting new people. I’ve moved around a lot between places and communities in the past, and I’ve never really made too much of an effort to preserve relationships when I leave a place. I think that’s been due in part to not forming that strong of connections with people over a shorter period, but a lot of it was also not understanding its importance when I was a little younger. I am most excited for getting to know new people and joining new friend groups and clubs. Even though I’m only there for a semester, I think that’s plenty of time to at least start a friendship with someone who’s had a totally different life experience than I have. A lot of what I’ve learned so far about study abroad semesters has revolved around the people students have met and what the students have learned from them. If I’ve got a few people to hang out and really experience things with, and I maintain contact with at least one of those people in some semi-consistent way, I will consider that a huge study abroad success.

In terms of what I’ve learned about study abroad semesters and challenges, I think I’m most worried about staying on top of school work while making the most of my time abroad. While the classroom experience is certainly part of understanding another culture, there’s so much more! I’m concerned about falling behind in non-U.S. classes where I’ll have to keep my own pace and they will be less guided by the professors. Similarly, I’m worried about spending too much time reading/studying for classes so I miss out on the beautiful country of Ireland! I know I’ll have to use some budgeting, scheduling, and even goal making skills that have been emphasized in my semester so far in order to stay on top of my school work and make the most of my experiences abroad 🙂