The most important thing I have learned about myself during this study abroad is that I need to improve on my life and study balance. Although I have had the privilege to be in a foreign country with endless opportunities and new experiences, I also was enrolled in two business classes as well, so finding a balance between these two aspects of the trip was pivotal. The consolidation of the classes meant that there was a lot of information to learn in a short amount of time, so prioritizing studying, especially before tests, was important. So, with tests being earlier in the week on Monday through Wednesday, it was essential to study on the weekend. However, the various weekend trips I took distracted me from focusing on studying days before the exams. Prior to the first exams, I took a trip to Croatia where I focused on maximizing my experience in another country rather than making an effort to prepare. Then, prior to the second exams, I took a weekend trip to Croatia with others from the study abroad program, where I was focused on the enjoyment of the beautiful beaches and scenery as what the unique towns had to offer rather than taking any time to prepare for exams. Although these were both unforgettable experiences that helped improve my cultural intelligence and experience new things, I could have delegated some time to studying without taking away from the experience. Even when in the city of Florence during the week, there is so much that the city has to offer that it was easy to become absorbed by exploration and disregard the academics. So, I have learned that I need to improve on balancing the enjoyment and study aspects of my life better, and plan on improving on this in College Station where there are always enjoyable experiences that can be distracting from academics.
