I would like to begin by saying that my classes are a healthy mix of challenging and relaxing topics. I start my week off bright and early with International Finance from 8:30am to 11am on Monday. I then have a four hour break before Elementary Italian from 3pm to 4:15pm. On Tuesday I have Intro to Sculpture and History of Renaissance art. Lastly, on Wednesday, I have Urban Studies and Elementary Italian. Of these classes, my international finance class is the most challenging since it requires a bit more focus and work. Although challenging, the topics discussed in the class are very thought provoking and pertains to many aspects of our lives. In this class we discuss finance topics on a global scale and how international actors interact with each other in global markets. One of the main reasons I find this topic interesting is because this part of finance deals a lot with geopolitics which is an area of study that intrigues me. Of course, when dealing with politics it is important to keep in mind that everyone has their own opinion and it may vary drastically from your own. This is even more apparent in other countries because other cultures may have values that differ from yours. Of my Clifton Strengths, Harmony is my number one strength. I think harmony helps tremendously in this area of study because I am more focused on bringing people together when people may have opposing views. Further, coming to agreements/compromises in international finance (usually) benefits most if not all parties involved.

One major difference I have noticed in the academic culture is the importance of work life balance. In almost every class we have coffee breaks where everyone leaves class and grabs an espresso and a pastry. I really enjoy this aspect of the academic culture because it helps me decompress and stay focused. Each class is over 2 hours and it is a bit difficult to intensely pay attention to the topics being discussed. Having a coffee break at the halfway point helps me prepare my attention span for the second half of class. Also, many professors will join students for coffee which is a perfect time for students to ask questions on topics they may be confused on. These breaks are also an important aspect of Italian culture. Italians seem to value socializing and relaxing a bit more than Americans and live a more slower paced lifestyle.