So far on this trip, I have learned a lot about how different the culture of Spain, and Europe as a whole, is from the culture in the United States. I find it particularly interesting that the attitude and expectations around work is so different here. First off, every day from 2-4 pm, most businesses, especially restaurants, take a siesta and close their businesses. That would never be a thing in the US. Another major difference is the expectations for students here. I have definitively found he classes to be a bit more difficult in the way that we have less guidance and are expected to know exactly how we think it best fit to complete assignments and answer questions. I have still been doing well in these classes, but the work load is definitely different from what I am used. These classes have definitively been more reading-intensive than I am used to.
I have had so much fun exploring Barcelona, as well as the other parts of Spain we have been to such as Montserrat and Costa Brava. The cities have so many beautiful and amazing places to see and things to do. This weekend me and my roommates will be traveling to Vienna, so we will get to see even more of Europe, which we are all very excited about!
These classes have taught me so much about international business and what it entails, including taking exchange rates into account, assessing risk, and managing operations from different locations all over the world. It has made me more and more interested in working over seas one day!