1. The abroad experience offers students invaluable opportunities to explore and learn. I hope that my study abroad experience in Barcelona will provide me various opportunities to grow and flourish in my academic, professional, and personal life.
Academically, I always aim to study material that I find interesting and unique. Instead of a broad stroke history course, I prefer to take a course that looks in depth at one specific region or time period like the Vietnam War class I took in fall 2015. Instead of a broad political science course I much prefer to take a course that targets one specific idea or theory, like my human rights course I took spring 2016. These courses are just two examples of the unique and specified learning I enjoy.
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As part of this program I hope to gain the professional skills to take the information I learn and apply it to a passion and a career. My professional goal is to take what I learn and what I have learned and apply it as part of a volunteer or internship program. In this way I will not only be learning but also practicing. Study abroad in Barcelona will provide the skills and motivation necessary for me to seek outside opportunities. When I find an internship, a volunteer job, or other engagements, then I will be able to professionally apply what I have learned. If I return from my abroad experience with both the knowledge and the practice in a certain field, then my professional goal will be …show more content…
In the comforts of my own university I know where I can go for support and I know who to ask for help. Additionally, I know if there is a course I do not enjoy, there are plenty of others to take that will meet a requirement. While abroad, I will not be as familiar with the resources available to me, and the variety of courses will be more limited. In order to prevent any stress or confusion I will need to plan ahead and meet with advisors before I leave in order to be confident in my schedule and the classes I am taking. Also, I will research the advising opportunities available once in Barcelona so I know exactly where to go if I need