STUDYING ABROAD AS A HOMEBODY: HALF WAY THROUGH MY TRIP

STUDYING ABROAD AS A HOMEBODY:

Half way through my trip | By Baylee 

I am about half-way through my faculty-led, study abroad trip to Italy and wanted to share a brief update! 

I have already learned a tremendous amount both academically and culturally.

Academically, I have learned about International Economics and International Management. In International Economics we have learned about the effects associated with tariffs, international trade relations, comparative advantage, and risk management strategies. In International Management we have learned a lot about culture and how that plays a role in managing an organization. We have talked about how an organization should handle sending expatriates to countries and what compensation should be provided for those employees. We discussed the challenges that arise with being an expatriate such as issues with reentry, the family not feeling at home, and all the emotions that come from leaving behind family, friends, and everything one is accustomed to. We also discussed how working with people from different cultures can lead to communication issues if one is not aware of the others customs. For instance, we discussed how Americans are more likely to be time sensitive and task focused whereas other cultures focus a lot more on relationships then both time and the task. This class has also made me aware when I come across cultural differences in Italy. For example, at restaurants they are not as as focused on getting food to you fast as they are making sure the food they are giving you is quality. Also, you have to ask for your check whenever you want it since they are not going to rush you to leave. 

In my first two weeks, I have already had several fun experiences in Italy.

The most exciting would probably be the free weekend where a group of us went to Cinque Terre. We stayed in the quaint town of Manarola but had the opportunity to spend a good amount of time in Monterosso as well. We also were able to go on a boat tour where we got to see every town from the Mediterranean Sea and swim in this little area with a waterfall. It was absolutely beautiful and something I would definitely recommend for anyone to go and visit.

I have had to get accustomed to a few things. 

The most challenging thing would probably be the transportation. It really is not that difficult at all but it is something you always have to be mindful of. Instead of being able to jump in your car and drive back home you have to walk everywhere or take a train or bus. Fortunately, the train system is super easy, I am just not used to having to rely on the train to get from place to place. After I have taken it a few times I think it is similar to the light rail, but you can also go longer distances. In most places you just hop on and off but you can also go farther distances which would require you to be on the train for a couple hours. Overall, it is pretty easy, it is just different and another thing to get accustomed to.

I would encourage anybody studying abroad to try and stay in a small town if they can.

For this program I am with a group of UNC Charlotte students and a group of University of Tennessee - Knoxville students. Together we go to class, do day trips, and have tours of various museums and cathedrals. Due to the schedule of our program and our location in a bigger city, I have not had the chance to meet a lot of locals. We do go to the same breakfast place every morning so we know the owner there, but because of the morning rush we have not had a chance to get to know her well. When we went to the small town of Manarola for a weekend we were able to meet a few people. So, I think if we were there for a longer period of time it would have been very easy to build more relationships with the locals. I would encourage anybody studying abroad to try and stay in a small town if they can. It is super easy to get anywhere else to do things and it allows you to really dive into the culture and meet people from the actual town.