End of Semester Reflections

As my time in Rome comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on the semester and the experiences I’ve had here. This semester has been such an incredible experience for me. I’ve learned so much about Rome and about Europe. In addition to living in Rome and travelling around Europe, I had two international business courses that taught me about the intricacies of European and world business. I also had my internship where I learned about the topic of human rights in business. While I had a lot of fun here in Rome, I also really learned a lot both inside and outside of the classroom.

Being in Rome allowed me to take advantage of so many different opportunities I don’t think I would have had back home. I travelled to a lot of different cities and got to see how people live and behave in different cultures. I’ve developed a wider view of the world and a greater understanding of people than I had before. I feel really fortunate to have had this experience at such a young age and am excited to incorporate my new views into the rest of my education and my eventual career.

While travelling was incredible, my time in Rome has been the most important part. Getting to know a home so different from my own was a really unique experience for me. I moved from Albania when I was really young, so I didn’t get a chance to develop much of a life there. Italy is quite similar to Albania, and it was really cool to be able to live in a culture so close to my own but so different from where I live now.

I had so much fun and learned a lot but studying abroad also comes with its fair share of challenges. Being in Rome and away from my family was really difficult for me. I’m super close with my family and they live close to Temple so I’m accustomed to visiting them whenever I want. Being away from them for four months was a really new and difficult experience but I’ve been forced to learn to deal with setbacks on my own and adapt to unfamiliar living situations. This experience has made me a lot more independent and confident in my own decisions. Not being able to turn to my family for immediate help and support has made me more self-sufficient and capable of relying on myself rather than others.

I have also developed an appreciation for my home and the convenience that comes with living in a place where you speak the language and know all about your surroundings. It’s difficult to live in a place where you only know what’s going on half the time. It took me forever to orient myself and move around the city without looking at a map and now that I’ve finally gotten a grip of my surroundings I’m about to leave.

I’m really going to miss Rome. While I am excited to go home and see my family, I’ve grown to love the chaos that is the city of Rome. I think I took for granted how incredible of an opportunity it has been to live here in one of the oldest and most historical cities in the world. I hope I’ll be able to come back here someday soon because it really has come to feel like a home away from home.

As my time comes to an end I’m beginning to think of all the things I wish I did. Instead of that, I think it’s important to try to reflect on the things I did experience and the wonderful memories I’ve been able to collect. I hope that everyone with the opportunity to study abroad does so because it really is an amazing experience. My favorite parts of the semester include my excursions, the food, and the relationships I’ve formed with my peers and professors. Classes here are a lot smaller and more personal than they are at home and it has been nice to get to know my professors a little bit. It was also really cool to learn Italian in Italy. I’ve learned so much from this city and I’m really excited to return. 

The advice I have for everyone after completing the semester is:

Eat a lot

Walk a lot

Look around

Rome is such a special place with so much to offer. All you have to do it go outside and you’ll see so many amazing and significant things and places.

Thanks for reading. Arrivederci!

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