Studying overseas: another lesson in growing up

Every college student learns how to research and write academic papers. After four years, students will know how to stretch a meal plan and do their own laundry. But if students want to take more than just a degree and basic survival skills away after their time at IU, they will need to push their limits. They need to challenge themselves to accomplish something they never thought they could do.

For me, this experience came in the form of a year-long study-abroad program in Bologna, Italy.

I was dropped off in a dirty little town which, to my horror, looked nothing like a scene from “Under the Tuscan Sun.” In fact, every visible surface was covered in grafitti and the streets reeked of urine. I had two suitcases filled with all of my possessions, no home and no friends.

My program made reservations for me and my fellow frightened Americans to spend 10 days in a local motel. In that time, I had to make phone calls, using my poor, halting Italian, to find my own apartment with other Italians. Shortly after moving in, I began regular classes with Italian students at the Universita’ di Bologna. I struggled to understand the professor and the exams were nearly impossible.

The first months were dark. Studying abroad is not easy and it is not always fun. Some days I got hit with bouts of homesickness so sharp that I didn’t want to leave my bed. Fluency does not come quickly. Daily survival becomes an accomplishment.

I was amazed, however, by how quickly I grew. My naievete wore off and was replaced by a more rational, logical way of thinking. I learned not to panic and to just take the hurdles that life threw at me one at a time.

I learned to speak Italian out of necessity. I became very close to many of the people in my program because we were all going through the same trials. I made new friends, saw fantastic places and had experiences beyond my wildest dreams. Nothing is more thrilling than hearing the Tuscan morning wind whipping through cyprus trees or watching sailboats bob up and down on the crystal clear waters of Lake Como with close friends.

Seeing the world is definitely a perk of studying abroad (I’ve been to London and Paris) but don’t be too preoccupied with trying to cram a million trips into one year. Studying abroad is not a vacation. Spend some quality time in a few locations and remember we have our entire lives ahead of us to explore.

I now have deeper relationships with my family and friends here at home and an appreciation for the comforts and conveniences that come with being an American. I am proud of what I have accomplished.

It’s important to utilize college to its fullest potential. Spend a year of that time outside of Bloomington. The experience is not for the faint of heart, but the rewards are amazing.

One word can be used to describe the change that took place in me during my stay abroad: maturation. And, after all, isn’t that the reason why we go to college?