I think one of the things I didn’t expect coming here is to actually study. I always heard people saying that they literally didn’t do anything during their study abroad trips. They mentioned the amount of times they’ve traveled all over the world, the amount of times they went out to clubs, the variety of restaurants they went to visit during their study abroad trip, and so on. How many times did they mention they were studying or maybe stressing out a tad bit because of school? Zero. Well folks, I myself was fooled by these stories. I don’t know what these people were talking about, but there definitely is some studying and even some stress involved while you’re in your program. For me, it’s particularly my Italian class. Which I should be studying for, but here I am writing this instead *face palm*.

So, what’s the point of this blog post? Make your own experiences.

Let me be fair, these people I mentioned may have decided to take less classes and be less involved on campus, leading them to have a lighter workload overall. However, let me speak for myself and the experience I have had with the amount of homework I have had so far. I am taking 5 classes this semester, which totals to the amount of 15 credits. I am taking classes that fulfill my graduation requirements such as Literature, Science, and Art. You may be thinking, “What’s so hard about that?”. Well, I had to finish a whole novel for my literature class in a span of 4 days, write a 5 page paper for my science class, and also create a sculpture from scratch for my art class. Oh and top of that, I’m working two jobs. One here in the John Felice Rome Center and one back at home in a mobile manner. Oh! I forgot to mention another thing! I also decided to get involved with Student Activities Committee and now I’m in charge of planning events. Yikes.

I mean it is called studying abroad for a reason right? Don’t worry. I’m here to tell you that regardless if you have a crazy schedule like mine, YOU CAN STILL HAVE FUN. It’s already Week 3 and I feel like I’ve done so much. Yes, there’s homework to be done but as long as you manage your time wisely then you should be good (or how Italians say it, molto bene, which means very good!)

I was getting a little overwhelmed with the workload I was getting in the beginning and was worried I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the study abroad experience like the people I have talked to. But I learned that I have to make the most out of my time. What did I do? I started scheduling times when I wanted to go out. I have a 1PM class, so instead of sleeping in until the class started, I would push myself to wake up bright and early. I actually did my first walk this Monday. I got to know my neighborhood and campus so well and finally got to try a local cafe shop by campus. Have a 4 hour gap between classes? Have a Wednesday off? GO OUT. I did that and I was able to discover one of my favorite bakery spots! Again, just make the most out of your time. Don’t stay in your rooms and don’t get distracted by what’s going on online. That brings me to my second point.

Again, how do I still have fun with a busy schedule? Well first of all, stay off your phone. So much time is wasted using your phone and it’s honestly not even worth it. Yeah you need to talk to your family and your friends back at home, I get that. But it’s a 7 hour difference from Europe to the United States. They won’t even be up during school hours. Finish everything you have to finish and then take some time to actually enjoy your surroundings. Plan trips, make friends, read a book, take a walk in the neighborhood. Just do something productive. Once you have done all of that, then that’s when you can use your phone to catch up with your family and friends. If they truly care about you, they’ll understand why you’re not available on your phone as much as before. You are abroad for a reason. To explore and study. Not to be on your phone.

To make the most out of your experiences, you especially have to not worry about other people’s schedules. Don’t focus on your friend’s schedules being free and yours not. Your schedule is probably busy for a good reason. Even if it’s not, so what? Take this as an experience so you can learn how to become more responsible and manage your time wisely! Be positive and look forward to the things you CAN do while you’re here and honestly just be happy that you got the chance to study abroad in the first place!

Whatever it may be, make your own experiences. It doesn’t matter if others got to go to clubs every day and travel halfway around the world. Their experiences are different from yours. If you do it right, you can make your time here so memorable and have the time of your life. Have fun while you’re here, but also study because you are studying abroad after all.

Until next time! Arrivederci 🙂

P.S Here’s some of the memories I’ve made so far even with my crazy schedule!