According to the guides that I have filled out, I've come to realize that I have a very specific way of going about things. My curiosity helps me in learning about new things all the time, but my inflexibility could get me in trouble when it comes to learning more about British culture. If something is not the way that I expect it to be by a certain time, I will be very annoyed and most likely let it color my judgement of the person who was running it for some time to come. While I have started to realize that this is not the only way that people run, in fact some go in the opposite, it will be still be a challenge for me if I encounter people who do not work like I expect.
For this particular issue, I think it will be good for me to meet a variety of people in order to get a richer understanding of how people view time and interactions with each other. While British culture seems to run similarly to US culture in terms of being fairly low content communicators, there will still need to be room for error in how this time is actually used. I believe that I will need to leave my perceptions of UK culture that I have picked up from popular media at the door so that I can fully integrate myself into the actual culture and not what I see on tv.
Joining clubs on campus will definitely be something that I will do since this strategy is what helped me make friends on campus whenever I first came to Maryville. My friendly personality is also something that has helped me a great deal and hopefully will help me as I go abroad as well.
In terms of being an American, specifically one from the South, I will need to recognize that there are certain stereotypes that I will need to circumvent with anyone that I meet whose only exposure would be from popular media like my exposure is for the UK. Educating someone on how living in the South does not mean I wear cowboy boots and watch NASCAR without sounding condescending will definitely be something that I will need to keep in mind when and if it comes up. I hope with this I will be able to bring a better understanding of the vast changes in the US culture across state lines just like it will be different in Plymouth than it would be in the London area.
Showing posts with label Luppe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luppe. Show all posts
Monday, October 5, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
My Goals Abroad In England
Whenever I first decided that I was going to pursue studying abroad, I was a junior in high school. One of my requirements for the college I was going to back then was that they had a strong study abroad program or more programs if possible. The moment I found out that their programs were weak or hadn't been fully developed yet, those colleges were out.
With that in mind, it becomes clear to me that I have always wanted to travel. While books and tv shows are nice, they don't sate the hunger that I have to experience the world that's out there. Watching heroes find the clues to their mysteries is all fine and good until I am left with nothing but the familiar walls around me. To sate that hunger, even if it is only for a semester or a break-time, would make going abroad worth all of the stress that I currently have about money and deadlines.
Beyond that, I recognize that the world is becoming more and more interconnected. The internet, Skype calls, and blogging have made asking questions, getting answers, and making connections easier than ever before, even if it is not always at the fast pace that I have come to expect. Having a connection in another city is nice, but having a connection in another country implies that not only have you made an attempt to travel, you have done so to further pursue your career. I have been taught for a long time that networking is the most important thing you can do for your career path and I hope to utilize that lesson while I am abroad.
As mentioned before, most of my feelings at the moment revolve around my stress levels and the questions that I have. Where am I going to get placed? Where am I going to get money to go abroad? When am I going to leave? When am I going to get back? How am I going to pack my life into a suitcase? Is my family going to be okay while I'm abroad? Are my friends going to be okay while I'm abroad? Is the metal detector going to go off because of my braces?? I only have the vaguest of ideas for most of these questions and a definite "no" on the last one, which is slightly comforting. I know most of these questions will be answered by the time I leave and in the months to come, my stress levels will hopefully come down to Defcon 5 instead of around Defcon 3 or 4 depending on the day.
In addition to that, I want to see what I can do while I'm on my own. While being in college gives me a "test run" into being an adult, being in another country with a slightly lower safety net truly puts everything that I have learned thus far to the test. I know in my the pit of my heart that I'll be fine and I'll look back on my journey fondly, but right now it is all in a future I can't fully imagine yet.
With that in mind, it becomes clear to me that I have always wanted to travel. While books and tv shows are nice, they don't sate the hunger that I have to experience the world that's out there. Watching heroes find the clues to their mysteries is all fine and good until I am left with nothing but the familiar walls around me. To sate that hunger, even if it is only for a semester or a break-time, would make going abroad worth all of the stress that I currently have about money and deadlines.
Beyond that, I recognize that the world is becoming more and more interconnected. The internet, Skype calls, and blogging have made asking questions, getting answers, and making connections easier than ever before, even if it is not always at the fast pace that I have come to expect. Having a connection in another city is nice, but having a connection in another country implies that not only have you made an attempt to travel, you have done so to further pursue your career. I have been taught for a long time that networking is the most important thing you can do for your career path and I hope to utilize that lesson while I am abroad.
As mentioned before, most of my feelings at the moment revolve around my stress levels and the questions that I have. Where am I going to get placed? Where am I going to get money to go abroad? When am I going to leave? When am I going to get back? How am I going to pack my life into a suitcase? Is my family going to be okay while I'm abroad? Are my friends going to be okay while I'm abroad? Is the metal detector going to go off because of my braces?? I only have the vaguest of ideas for most of these questions and a definite "no" on the last one, which is slightly comforting. I know most of these questions will be answered by the time I leave and in the months to come, my stress levels will hopefully come down to Defcon 5 instead of around Defcon 3 or 4 depending on the day.
In addition to that, I want to see what I can do while I'm on my own. While being in college gives me a "test run" into being an adult, being in another country with a slightly lower safety net truly puts everything that I have learned thus far to the test. I know in my the pit of my heart that I'll be fine and I'll look back on my journey fondly, but right now it is all in a future I can't fully imagine yet.
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