With only twenty - yes, TWENTY, - days until I'm (hopefully) packed and sitting on my flight to Florence, the time has come for me to really start buckling down and preparing myself, mentally, emotionally and even, physically. The program I am traveling through - API - has thus far been amazing with making the study abroad process an easy and even, dare I say, enjoyable experience. With only a few short weeks to go, API has just introduced us to our first "Orientation" of sorts -- an online site where there is a plethora of information ranging from what we should expect the food, living conditions and general way of life to be like in Italy. This handy photo they supplied us with (see above) is ever so nicely showing us students the roller coaster of emotions we can expect to feel over the course of this experience. As if being a college student doesn't already bring out almost every emotion in the book, now we get to be tossed onto a new roller coaster ride. WOOOOHOOOO!
Although this picture can certainly be a bit of a turn-off, it's important that everyone - myself included - remember that above all, life - and this trip- are what you make of it. Life itself is a roller coaster ride, might as well throw your arms up and enjoy the ride.
Here are a few things that API mentioned in the online "orientation" that I felt I could really relate to and that would be extremely helpful for myself whenever I feel a bit overwhelmed by the whole experience:
Above all, keep an open mind and try to accept the people and culture rather than resist them. This requires great maturity, perceptiveness and skill in cross-cultural communication.
Key skills that will help you as you adjust to a new culture:
Tolerance for ambiguity
Low goal/task orientation
Open-mindedness
Nonjudgmentalness
Empathy
Communicativeness
Flexibility; adaptablity
Curiosity
Sense of humor
Warmth in human relationships
Motivation
Self-reliance
Strong sense of self
After all, you only live once, might as well make the best of it!
~ la vita è bella ~
Although this picture can certainly be a bit of a turn-off, it's important that everyone - myself included - remember that above all, life - and this trip- are what you make of it. Life itself is a roller coaster ride, might as well throw your arms up and enjoy the ride.
Here are a few things that API mentioned in the online "orientation" that I felt I could really relate to and that would be extremely helpful for myself whenever I feel a bit overwhelmed by the whole experience:
Above all, keep an open mind and try to accept the people and culture rather than resist them. This requires great maturity, perceptiveness and skill in cross-cultural communication.
Key skills that will help you as you adjust to a new culture:
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