My study abroad experience has come to a close in Brussels, Belgium, and I have learned a lot from this experience, inside and outside of the classroom.
A great takeaway from inside the classroom that I learned while studying abroad is that it pays off to go outside of your comfort zone when it comes to asking questions in a room full of people. On this study abroad experience, my peers and I visited some of the European Union buildings and were able to talk with some professionals who work for the EU. Almost everyone on this trip had either a major or minor in Political Science, except for me. I am an Applied Mathematics major with minors in International Studies and Actuarial Science. So, I always felt self-conscious about asking questions to the professionals during our site visits because I felt like I did not know as much as my peers. However, I pushed myself to ask questions and even used the answers in my final research policy paper. So, I think this is something I will take with me throughout the next few years of college I have left in order to push myself outside of my comfort zone academically.
Outside of the classroom, a major takeaway from this experience was to also push myself socially. I have always been very quiet and shy around new people, and going into this trip, I did not know anybody, but I knew I wanted to get to know everyone even if I was very nervous to do so. So, instead of staying in my hotel room after our long site visits, on some nights, I went out to eat and sightsee with some of my peers. I found this to be very helpful in finding my group to hang out with, so I did not feel so alone in a foreign country. This is the first time I have ever been out of the country completely by myself, so I am very glad that I was able to feel comfortable around the people I met while I was in Brussels. Now, I know how to be a little bit more outgoing and extroverted around people I just met, and I will continue to try to get to know people that I will be around for a long period of time. I also feel a lot more comfortable with traveling solo, and my peers helped me build that confidence, especially when learning how to use public transportation.
Throughout this entire experience, my friends and family have supported me endlessly. When I felt homesick, I would simply call them and not feel so homesick. Also, the teachers and friends I made supported me during this trip. Like I mentioned earlier, I do not really have any experience in Political Science courses, and without my professor’s help while writing my paper, I would not have done as well. Finally, having people that I felt comfortable around and became friends with really helped me enjoy my experience. Even though I do love my alone time, it was very nice being able to enjoy the study abroad experience with other people who were also feeling the same way I was.
Some of my favorite memories include a day trip to Ghent, a day trip to Bruges, and walking around and shopping in the Grand Place. I was very grateful that our program allowed us to have two weekends off to have some free time to do sightseeing and extra traveling. Overall, I feel very grateful to have been a part of this program, and to have the Frederick Honors College by my side every step of the way as well!
