The truth is that studying aboard is not a vacation. There
may be a big misconception from many students that when they study aboard especially
for a two week trip that it is a trip and not a class that they are taking. They will be many times where you will have
fun and socialize but, the main reason why you are there is to learn. I left
New York going to Europe thinking I was going to have a great vacation. The
only thing I thought I was going to learn was how many euros equal a dollar
because I was going to shop till the sun came up. When I came back from Europe
to America I realized that I had learned more than what I had expected. I
believe the best way to learn is to have a visual of what you are learning. The
one big thing that I learned to learn about while on the trip is the history of
Europe artwork especially while we were in Italy. To see a picture of the famous David by Michelangelo
is nothing like seeing it in real life. Every
piece of art work has its own story that makes it even more special. For example
the David was originally created outside but it took years for people to move
it into its location of today which is Galleria dell'Accademia. The David has been around for about 600 years
and there has only been one part of it that has had to be rebuilt. That part is
one of the David; a crazy man came into the Galleria dell'Accademia with a
hammer and broke the toe off. I could get lost in the stories about each piece
of art and learn to appreciate it and what they should for to people. When you
enter the Galleria dell'Accademia you are not allowed to take pictures or even
talk loudly. This shows the respect that Italians have for their art work.
There is police man in every Conner ready to throw out or yell at someone who
is trying to break the rules. When I think of history and art one thing comes
to mind and that is not very important. One day I will pass away and my memory
will be lost but, the David and each sculpture and painting in the Galleria
dell'Accademia and all over Italy will stand the test of time forever.
-Afua
The truth is studying abroad takes a lot of time on and off the trip. Although we had a lot of fun we also had work to do. Personally I was enrolled in both the culture class as well as the independent study where I had to write a 20 page paper on a topic of my choice. While doing so I had to collect both historical evidence, as well as personal experiences to make my paper worth reading. Before attending this trip there were three mandatory lectures to attend that will help the travelers learn more about the country's climate as well as the culture. While on the trip we also had lectures which would ultimately help us write our papers, we had to take notes about most of the things that we did on the trip and even after the trip we had a 12 page paper assignment that was due. Before attending this trip my perception of studying abroad was that it was going to be a vacation. When I actually started the process I realized that it was more of a learning experience than a normal relaxing vacation. I would encourage anyone who is interested in learning about the geography and culture of Europe to take this trip. It helped me look at culture and people in a different light.
- Tahara
-Afua
The truth is studying abroad takes a lot of time on and off the trip. Although we had a lot of fun we also had work to do. Personally I was enrolled in both the culture class as well as the independent study where I had to write a 20 page paper on a topic of my choice. While doing so I had to collect both historical evidence, as well as personal experiences to make my paper worth reading. Before attending this trip there were three mandatory lectures to attend that will help the travelers learn more about the country's climate as well as the culture. While on the trip we also had lectures which would ultimately help us write our papers, we had to take notes about most of the things that we did on the trip and even after the trip we had a 12 page paper assignment that was due. Before attending this trip my perception of studying abroad was that it was going to be a vacation. When I actually started the process I realized that it was more of a learning experience than a normal relaxing vacation. I would encourage anyone who is interested in learning about the geography and culture of Europe to take this trip. It helped me look at culture and people in a different light.
- Tahara
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