Academic Enrichment

Having the opportunity to study at a different university than Ohio State during my time here has certainly had a big impact on my education.  By studying in Spain, I have been exposed to a completely different education system.  In Spain, I am attending a small private university, which is much different when compared to my giant public university of Ohio State.  At first, I did not think that I would like my university in Spain because it is so vastly different than what I am used to at home.  But to my pleasant surprise, I have really enjoyed studying at this university and being able to compare all of the similarities and differences it has to Ohio State.  I think the biggest thing I have learned from this experience is that there are so many different approaches to education and learning, and all of them have pros and cons.

Foreign Language Eduaction

Spending four months in Spain has definitely helped to reaffirm my career choice to work to become a Spanish teacher.  My Spanish skills have improved so much and I am excited to take back what I have learned to the US.  Most importantly, I have been able to see how much people in Europe value learning languages.  Pretty much everyone knows two or more languages, which is incredible to me.  I hope this is a trend that continues to grow in the US as it has in Europe, because I truly believe that learning another language is one of the most valuable skills you can have.  Additionally, I have been able to see how an education systems works in another country by attending university in Spain.  I have been able to observed different learning techniques, and see how well or not so well they work in the classroom.  Overall, this semester has made me more excited to become a Spanish teacher.

Sophomore Year

Although my school year has not officially ended, it is crazy to think about how much has happened in the past few months.  First semester seems forever away, but it was such a valuable and important time of my life.  I took some challenging Spanish courses which I think really prepared me for my time in Spain.  I also joined my sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, which has become such an important part of my life.  Second semester, coming abroad was very nerve-wracking for me.  Moving to a foreign country for 4 months where you know absolutely no one can be quite intimidating, as you can imagine.  However, as I am now reaching the end of my semester, I can say without hesitation that it was been one of the greatest periods of my life.  I have been so lucky to be able to travel around Spain, Europe, and even a stop in Africa.  I have learned so much about the world that you simply cannot learn sitting in a classroom, and I will be forever grateful for that.  Studying in Spain has also reignited my love for the Spanish language and confirmed that being a Spanish teacher is really what I want to do in life.  I cannot believe I am already halfway done with my college career, but I can’t wait to see where the other half leads me!