创造独一无二的留学体验

我宝博体育这件事做得对吗?

I asked myself this question probably a hundred times during my time in 弗洛伦斯. 我在意大利的时间只有六个星期, 我也很激动能来到这里, I felt a lot of pressure within myself to make the most of my time abroad and constantly be doing something "exciting". 我害怕做出错误的选择而错过, 但在度过了这六周之后, I've come to learn that all the different choices are what make the experience special!

One of the things I was most excited about (but also felt the most of this pressure about), 是自由行. I knew that traveling on weekends or days off was a big part of many people's study abroad experiences, whether that be just within 意大利 or even to different countries throughout Europe. 我想去的第一个地方是罗马. I had this perfect plan in my mind to stay there for a long weekend, but after looking at Airbnb costs and ticket availability, 我的室友和我决定去一日游. 在逻辑上, I knew that this was an amazing opportunity to visit a spectacular city and I was grateful to be able to go at all, but this nagging whisper at the back of my mind kept me doubting nonetheless. “一日罗马。? 你永远不会看到全部, you'll just be sitting in 你的 apartment half the weekend, 你做错了, 你在浪费机会!"

那个声音大错特错了. 尽管我原来的计划没有成功, we ended up having an incredible day exploring the Colosseum, 漫步于罗马广场, 吃着美味的意大利面. +, having that Sunday at home turned out to be a great way to rest after a busy day of touring and prepare for class the next day.

更不用说, 自由行是一个很好的机会, I realized over time that there is just as much value in simply living the day-to-day life in a different location and culture. 每天慢慢地记住我去上课的步行路线, 寻找新的咖啡馆学习, figuring out how to navigate the grocery stores to buy dinner ingredients"”all of these simple activities helped me get more familiar with my home city of 弗洛伦斯. These small moments were exciting in their own way; learning how to order a cappuccino at my local cafe and beginning to recognize the baristas after visiting a couple times, or becoming comfortable heading to the nearby library courtyard to study in between classes and feeling like a normal student who really belonged in this city. 只是离家这么远, 与我所熟悉的相去甚远, 对我来说是一个巨大的进步吗.

For future study abroad students who are maybe feeling some of these same anxieties or doubts as I did, my advice would be to try not to worry about how 你的 experience compares to others' or whether you're doing everything "right". Studying abroad involves a lot of exploring, and with exploration is inherently some level of choice. You choose where to travel - do you want to stay in 弗洛伦斯, 意大利之旅, 或者访问尽可能多的国家? Stay in one place for the whole weekend or stick to day trips to nearby cities? You choose where to eat - do you want to eat out more frequently or cook at home? Get a taste of local cuisine by trying as many different restaurants as possible or going back to 你的 favorite spot every few weeks? You choose how to spend 你的 free time outside of classes - explore a new neighborhood, 去购物, 在家学习, 或者参观博物馆?

Any and all of these options (as well as many others I haven't listed) are great and will add something valuable to 你的 time abroad. 每个人都有不同的优先级, 预算, 和时间表, 在所有这些选项中, 无论多么简单或“日常”, you get to shape an entirely unique study abroad experience that is best for you.

没有一种正确的宝博体育方式. There's going to be a million different things you want to try and to see, and you could stay abroad for years and still not do it all. 这没关系. Try making a list of some of the top places you want to visit or a few foods you definitely want to try and make those a priority. 然后走出去探索. 这是 你的 留学项目, 无论你选择如何度过, you're sure to return home with new cultural understanding and personal growth.