While I am back from my trip to Cyprus with Pitt Business and Swanson School of Engineering’s Plus3 Program, I took the time on our long journey (specifically the 9 hour layover we had in London) to think about how I will attain the growth I want to achieve on this trip. Here is what I thought about:
I am greatly looking forward to this trip to Cyprus, so I can challenge myself outside the classroom. Everything I do on this trip will help me grow personally and professionally because I will strengthen my skills of balance and being situationally aware. Cyprus is a little different from some of the other Plus3, two-week study abroad programs because we will have ample free time to hang out at the hotel, pools, beaches, etc. Jumping from free time to professional events will force me to know when to turn my professionalism switch on and off very abruptly. Bouncing back and forth will teach me about balance. This can sometimes be difficult for college students, but it is good real-world practice because you may be able to be more casual with coworkers than you will be when your boss walks in the room. Representing Pitt excellence is something I want to make sure I am doing at all times, especially on the company site visits we will attend and university lectures.
Pitt Business does a great job of teaching us when we need to act in a professional manner and what that should look like. I learned this first-hand in my Fundamentals of Business Communication class. I am excited to demonstrate all that I have learned. However, I also want to grow my relationships with my fellow peers on this trip. We are all still college students, so the way we talk to each other will be a lot different from how we communicate at site visits. There are times for fun of course, but there are also times to act like the adults that we are. In order to accomplish both of these tasks I will need to master balance and situational awareness. These are two of my biggest goals to work towards, so I am excited to challenge myself in order to see the growth I want to achieve.
