From my time here so far, the most challenging aspect has been missing things back home. During my months here there have been many birthdays, special events, and a couple deaths in the family. It makes me sad to know I am missing out on important family moments, but I know my family understands and they are happy for me to be able to have this experience abroad.
The thing that most surprised me was how normal the Italian language is for me now. When I go on trips to various European countries that speak different languages, I feel at home when I return to Italy, or even when I pass someone speaking Italian. The Italian language has become almost my comfort language, and makes me feel comfortable and at home.
An unforgettable experience I have had so far was riding my bike to the airport. It was 3 am and my friend and I had a flight to catch to go to Santorini, GR at 5am. We didn’t want to pay for a taxi, so we decided to rent bikes for 2 euros each and bike ride to the airport. Google Maps ended up taking us on a route that went on the freeway, so my friend and I ended up riding our bikes on the freeway at 3 in the morning. A lot of cars and buses honked at us, which was scary, and it was definitely a workout having to keep up with the cars on the roundabouts. But it was definitely very memorable, and now I can say that I rode my bike on the freeway in Italy.
Some ways my courses here in Bologna differed from those at UCSD are that the courses here are quite easy and they do not give out homework. In Italy, university is quite laidback, and studying is done at your own pace. You study when you can, and all you have to worry about is being prepared for the final. Whereas in the US, homework and various assignments are given practically daily, and everything is very fast paced. I enjoyed the easygoingness of the Italian way of doing university, but I feel I learn better in a more fast pace setting.
Throughout my time here, one thing I learned about myself was how present I have become. Before coming to Italy I was known by everyone as being quite forgetful and a little careless. Everyone was worried that I would do something stupid, like leave my passport or wallet somewhere or get stolen for being thoughtless. But fortunately, I have changed my ways since being here, and I have not lost, or gotten anything stolen my entire time here. And I am very proud of that.
After being in Italy for a couple months, I have been able to hear and see how Italians view the US. I learned that America is seen as a place of prosperity and opportunity by Italians, which I found to be very interesting because I think Americans see Europe in a similar way. Since being here I realized just how privileged we are in the US. Minimum wage is quite low in Europe. I was astonished when a friend of mine told me his mother made 5 euros an hour at her job back in Spain. It makes me appreciate the opportunity we have in America and reminds me why my parents changed their whole lives to move to the US.
What I would advise students interested in studying abroad is to do it for the entire year. I have many friends that only studied in Bologna for one semester, and they didn’t feel like it was enough. The first few months go by so very fast. You are in a new country and trying to get adjusted to everything, from the language to the culture in the first few months, right when you are expected to leave. A year is just the right amount of time, and I would definitely recommend it to all university students. Especially low income students like myself, studying abroad is less expensive than if I had stayed at my UC campus because of all the financial aid and scholarships that are offered.
When it comes to my career plans, I believe this year has reinforced them. I decided on studying international business at the beginning of my university career because I was interested in business, and I liked the idea of traveling for work. Now, after studying and traveling around Europe for the past year, it has reassured me that I made the right decision. I hope to continue with my degree and one day work for a big international organization that allows me to travel between America and Europe for work.
think I was quite prepared for studying abroad. Because of the pandemic, I was able to spend a lot of time with my family and get a job back home. This ended up being a blessing because I was able to save a lot of money by living at home, and I adored being under the same roof with my family again. So I feel like I was less homesick and more financially prepared for studying abroad in Europe for the year because of it.
Lastly, I do not think COVID had a great impact on my experience. Although Italy is probably one of the strictest countries when it comes to COVID requirements and restrictions, I had a really good time. I was not heavily effected, and my only main burden was having to buy expensive facemarks all of the time, and fill out countless travel locater forms when traveling around Europe. Overall, I have been blessed to have had such a great experience abroad amidst the ongoing uncertainty of this global pandemic.