The time has finally come for me to publish my last blog post and with it comes a variety of bittersweet emotions. While I am happy to be home and be with family and friends again, I already miss the life I lived while abroad. Studying abroad allowed me to grow both as a student and as a person.
While abroad, I was able to not only fulfill required graduation requirements but was also able to take classes that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to take. For example, I took a class titled ‘Development, Poverty, and Human Rights’ while in Rome. I initially enrolled in this course as it counted towards my international affairs minor, but it came to be a class that changed my thought process towards certain humanitarian topics. Being able to see issues we discussed in class firsthand during my time in Rome gave me a different perspective than I could have gotten elsewhere. Moving forward in not only my time at Wofford but beyond, I hope to exercise this newfound mindset to approach issues that I may learn about. On the other hand, some of my classes abroad were set up very different compared to how a normal Wofford course is set up. Adapting to these new styles of teaching will be useful when taking classes in my post-graduate programs.
On a personal level, I have grown tremendously during my time abroad. I have learned to be a better problem solver, more independent, trust myself and be confident in my decisions, how to interact with people of many different backgrounds, and so much more. All these attributes will help me greatly for the rest of my time at Wofford and beyond.
Even after being home for a month and reflecting deeply on my study abroad experience, it is still difficult to put into words how grateful I am for this past semester. I wish that everyone could experience studying abroad and be as fulfilled with their experience as I am!