Returning Home from London
Yesterday, I touched down at Newark Liberty International Airport as I officially returned home in New Jersey from my study abroad semester in London. It is unbelievable how quickly these past 4 months flew by, but i’m glad that I came home now when I did as many of my friends who were abroad with me have begun to return home to the US as well. Now that my abroad experience is over, I have some time to reflect on what transpired and use what I learned to better prepare me for my senior year at UMD and frankly, the rest of my life.
The most important lesson by far I learned is that your abroad experience will not be perfect. I think the trap that some people fall into when they are abroad or far away from home is they overrate some of the things they see or do simply because they are not in their native country. Now, of course I saw and did incredible things in all the places I visited as I have illustrated in my previous posts. But, there were also a handful of sights/attractions that I haven’t included in my posts which let me down for a variety of reasons, ranging from being chock full of tourists to not being properly maintained over the years. But this really shouldn’t come as a surprise because some of the countries I visited are quite simply not as economically well off as the developed Western European countries, and so having to deal with the lack of funding for numerous things was a bug learning curve for me.
Another important factor of your abroad experience is your classes and the school you attend. Although they are some differences between individual European countries in terms of their structure and style, for the most part I found that the majority of them had a similar foundation (I learned this by talking with other European students in my travels across the continent). But, as I detailed in an earlier post, the academic structure here in Europe is much more independent and self-fulfilling that the American one, and while I saw some strengths/benefits to it, I can see how it would be difficult for others to adjust to it. What I think is the most important thing to do while being an exchange student is keep an open mind about the classes you want to take. Obviously, there are some classes that you cannot avoid because of degree requirements, but see if you can squeeze in a class that is different from your major but might have some practical use in the future. Personally, I would have taken a language class as that would have given ma new skill that not only I could have used in my time abroad but in the future as well.
My final but most important thought is that if you do get a chance to study abroad, then please do not hesitate to take it. The Smith school does an excellent job of partnering with programs and other schools around the world to create enriching and fulfilling academic, social and cultural experiences that will truly give you an edge in anything you set out to do. Quite simply, I am more confident and resolute in my abilities and skills because of how I was able to personally grow. Yes, there will be bumps and times you miss home, like I did, but then you realize that you are in a situation that very few students get to experience. And I am so happy with how I was able to spend my time abroad, and I can’t wait to showcase what I learned and how I have grown moving forward.
