Writing this blog over the past two months has been a good learning experience overall, especially with branding myself and reflecting on my time overseas. I originally wanted to make this blog about my new Miniature Schaunzer named Elton, but I felt that using my experiences abroad and how they connect with my personal brand and professionalism was the better route for me. Posting this blog on my social media sites also showed me how to connect with my audience, as well as the best times to post and what people want to see. I feel like being abroad is a common want for college students, so reflecting on the experiences in an honest and transparent way is what other people want to see but don’t always get from the internet. I believe that being required to actually sit down and put one’s thoughts into words they can look back on, such as a blog or a journal, is an invaluable resource in the preservation of memories because unfortunately memories fade over time but I appreciate having something tangible to look back on that I can have forever. Blogging is essentially an online diary, or journal, that you choose to share with others and is a powerful and invaluable tool in sharing thoughts, opinions, and experiences. I am not typically someone who feels a need or desire to express myself in writing but I am grateful for an assignment that challenges me to get out of my comfort zone. Blogging has given me a greater appreciation for writing and the power of sharing thoughts with one another and will be useful to me in the future when faced with the challenge of expressing myself in a creative manner.

https://www.durhamisc.com/blog/categories/careers/5-career-benefits-of-studying-abroad

My blog today is about my reactions to this article and comparing it to my experience abroad.

Number one on the list is “Communication Skills,” I can definitely agree and say that my communication skills almost skyrocketed while I was abroad. It’s almost like being a freshman and starting your orientation while trying to make friends in a completely new environment. Whether it be making new friends, communicating with store clerks who barely spoke English, or just trying to ask someone for simple directions, it was a challenge to increase those communication skills and be confident enough to express that you are struggling.

Next up on the list is “Learning a New Language,” I can agree with this, and honestly if someone who goes to a foreign country with a language that isn’t the persons first language, they would more than likely learn to communicate with the locals. I decided to take a two-week intensive Italian course before my semester started, and that for sure helped me learn the language a bit easier. I can’t say I am by any means fluent in Italian, but thankfully English is an extremely common language and most people speak a little bit of it.

Third on the list is “Global Connections,” To me, this is the most professionally beneficial aspect of studying abroad. Because of the communciation skills I have learned, I have been able to make friends and contacts with people all over the world. I am so thankful for the opportunity to connect with a global audience, and I hope to continue to engage with those people.

Fourthly is “Project Management,” one of the more interesting things to me about school abroad itself was that almost all of the coursework was within a group. I only had about 2-3 assignments/projects that were personal in all the classes I was taking. Almost every class had a set group that we worked with the entire semester. This was a great way of learning how to work on projects not only in group settings, but while also managing the non-school aspects of studying abroad. I definitely learned solid project management skills.

Lastly on the list of professional skills is “Boost Your Confidence,” I honestly think they just put this one on the list so that it was five things instead of four. Nevertheless, I do think my confidence is a little higher than it was previously. Going back to the whole communication skills aspect, I think that having confidence goes hand-in-hand with communication. If you don’t have the confidence to ask someone for directions, you can’t really better your communication skills. So I can say that my confidence is higher than previously.

All-in-all, I truly believe that studying abroad has benefits other than socially or personally. Being abroad can teach excellent work-life skills and better your professional development.

One of my latest Instagram posts was of my study abroad experience in Milan, Italy. My time abroad was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences I have ever had in my life. The first 2 months of my journey were really rough. I had to say goodbye to my life at home, and I am not good at saying goodbye to the things and people I love and care about. During those two months, I went through some personal experiences that really affected my social life as well as my ability to really focus on what was in front of me. I kind of got into a routine of eating, going to class, eating, going to class, sleeping then waking up and do it all over again. During the week when I wasn’t traveling, I just didn’t have the desire to do anything around Milan and for some reason I wanted to not like where I was, which in turn actually made me not like it. I wasn’t about the transportation, I wasn’t about the food, and all this really just stemmed from the fact that I was missing my life at home. On October 25th, all of that changed.

My best friend and partner came and visited me, and I swear she turned my attitude on everything upside down. I went from not liking real Italian pizza, to eating it almost every single day. I went from sitting around all day to exploring the beautiful city that is Milan, and even made some life long friends along the way. I went from hating my situation, to loving my situation in almost an instance. Looking back on my time abroad, the only regret I have was not giving Milan a chance to begin with.

Hi blog readers, to start, I am a current Student at St. Edward’s University seeking a BBA degree in Digital Media Management and Vice President of the St. Edward’s Men’s Lacrosse Team. I am a creative, hardworking, and energetic student with a drive and passion for marketing, leadership, and networking. Outside of work-life, I have a passion for music production and athletics, as well as making long-lasting, meaningful connections with people around me. Like anyone, I enjoy meeting people who have similar interests, hobbies, or passions as me, but I also find that some of the most impactful friendships/relationships I have shared with others have been with those who are actually very different from me. I believe it is important for us to grow and evolve daily in order to become the best possible version of ourselves, and I seek out experiences that bring the challenge necessary for this change.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

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