My time abroad summed up in one word would be magical. This experience has been so different from anything I have ever experienced. I feel so grateful to have had this opportunity given to me. This whole study abroad experience has helped me grow so much as a person. I have become more independent, adaptable, and capable. I have always wanted to travel, but I have never had the means to. Studying in London has allowed me to see and visit places I had dreamed of for years. Academically, I have taken classes that were fully out of my comfort zone, such as a psychology course and a writing course. It has been a while since I have been able to practice and exercise these skills and it was refreshing to take classes so different from my norm. In particular, I thoroughly enjoyed my writing course. I was very nervous to take this course to begin with as I am not confident in my writing skills, however, it has been refreshing learning more about writing and being able to practice it in a classroom setting. Though I do not think I have a future as a writer, I can definitely say that these skills can be applied to my professional life such as writing marketing plans.
I feel that I am walking away from this abroad experience with better communication skills. I have had to work in group projects with students from all over the United States and they all work differently. I have also learned how to communicate across language and cultural barriers. I believe that this improvement in communication skills will make me a better team member for collaboration in the classroom. I think I will also be better at explaining myself since I had to learn ways to do it without speaking the same language. I also think that I am much more confident in myself now. I have had to navigate in a completely new environment and figure out how to solve problems I encounter without relying on others. This confidence will help me be more self-assured when it comes to applying for positions or starting new jobs. I can see this skill coming in handy when I start my new internship this summer. My time management skills have also improved leaps and bounds while being abroad. I was not willing to sacrifice what I wanted to do travel-wise, but I was also not willing to sacrifice my classwork. This mindset forced me to plan my weeks diligently to ensure that I get all my work done, while also being able to see all the sights that I want. Through this, I feel very fulfilled with my study abroad experience, and I feel like I truly made the most out of it.
