Samantha Hirschman | Blogger

I am sitting on my bed in my apartment and it’s almost noon. I am reflecting on my first week of school and thinking, “What have I got myself into?” I’m taking four classes: Concept Development/Storytelling, Principles of Management, Introduction to Italian Language and Culture, and Political Communication. I have class on Monday/Wednesday from 5:15- 6:40pm, and Tuesday/Thursday from 9:00am-10:35 and 2:00-5:05. The schedule is not what I am used to. I’m used to starting at 9 or 10 in the morning and finishing with choir at 4pm. Not being in choir, not being active on campus, not walking 5 minutes to school, not living in my own dorm — it’s all so different here. It’s overwhelming.

So the classes. I’m excited for one- Storytelling. It’s a creative writing course that I am taking for fun, meaning: it’s not required. The other courses are required for me – management and poli-comm for my major and Italian for the program I am in at AUR. All my classes have two major tests/projects – the midterm and the final. I am not used to that. I have yet to have a class that is like this. All the classes I have taken have unit tests. It makes me nervous. Thankfully, my classes here all include class participation points, which count for 10% of my final grade.

I miss my BVU professors and class styles.

Another thing that is difficult with taking classes abroad is dissecting the message from the accent. Three of my four professors have very strong accents, and each have their own accent. It will become a skill, however.

The benefits from having classes outside your bubble will bring you the ability to adapt. Not only adapting to the new, exciting environment around you, but to the new living style, the teaching style, the language – everything about the different culture you have so chosen to be a part of. It’s exciting and scary all at the same time.

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