As I completed the surveys for this class, I realized how American I actually am. I am very goal-driven and independent, and I always feel like I am slacking if I am ever not busy. These characteristics might make things slightly difficult in another culture where people are more community-minded and put less emphasis staying busy. However, I think that living in France could help me to focus more on other aspects of life than what I tend to spend my time on here. Especially since I will not be working and my courses might be easier than the biochemistry classes I take at Maryville. I hope that a less strenuous semester in a culture that is slightly less focused on independence and staying busy will help me to focus on building relationships abroad and really diving into the culture.
As far as what I can bring to the table, I feel like my independence could also be a strength in some ways. I like problem-solving and figuring out solutions on my own, which could be helpful as I encounter new situations. I am also usually a very diligent student (except when I turn my blog post in late... oops) which could help relieve some potential academic stress and let me focus on other aspects of my study abroad. When we took the context survey, I ended up with a score of 5 on the high-context side, which seems to be almost exactly in line with French culture. This makes me feel much better as I face moving to a new country. Even though I know things will be very different over there and my interactions with others will have to adjust accordingly, it is nice to know that I might at least have a few things in common with this new culture.
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