Personal growth is such a huge part of college. Every day there are new experiences and responsibilities that help us to become more independent. This especially applies to study abroad! I studied abroad for a little less than a month and saw so much personal growth in that short amount of time. Studying abroad was very intimidating to me because I went to college close to where I grew up. I had never been so far away from my family before! To my surprise, I didn’t once feel homesick while abroad. Every day had a packed agenda, so I was too busy and having too much fun to miss home. This was a big step for me because I’ve always been the type of person who gets homesick when I’m away from my family for a long period of time.
Before the trip, I didn’t know anyone from my program. I didn’t want to go through all these new experiences alone. I wanted to be able to come away from my trip knowing I had made good friends and met new people. When I was younger, I was always known as being shy. Studying abroad helped me to come out of my shell. I put myself out there and tried to be really outgoing. I made the effort to talk to new people whenever I had the chance. Even if I was nervous or debating whether or not I should approach someone, I chose to be social every opportunity I had. I’m so glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone because I made so many new friends. A lot of people I met are studying similar subjects as me or share common interests. Now that the trip has ended and I’m back home, I’m still in touch with many of the people I met. I am so thankful that education abroad helped me form these relationships, and I can definitely say I made some great friends!
Finally, the most significant personal growth I noticed was when it came to public speaking. I did a research project while abroad that I had to present at the end of the trip. I was so passionate about my project, but I’m really nervous when it comes to speaking in front of others. To my surprise, multiple people approached me after my presentation and told me I sounded confident speaking about my project! This made me so happy because I have had a fear of public speaking for many years. Of everything I’ve done during college, studying abroad is what helped me grow as a person the most. It was an amazing experience for me, and I’m so glad I decided to take this step.
