Study Abroad Excitement

Now that spring break is over and midterms are upon us once again, it's nice to have something to look forward to. In February I applied to study abroad next semester in Parma, Italy and a few days before spring break I found out that I was accepted!! I spend my free time now filling out applications, reading course offerings, and looking up pictures of Italy. I have heard so many good things about people's experiences when they went abroad and I can't wait to experience it for myself!

Coming into BC, I thought I wanted to study abroad, but I didn't know definitely. I was nervous about being so far away from home and my family and friends. I don't know the Italian language well and I didn't want to be in a foreign country by myself. Eventually I decided that I was never going to have an opportunity like this again and that any initial anxiety would be worth it in the long run. I could not be happier with my choice. I am so excited for my trip. I already know some of the people that I'll be studying in Parma with so I won't be alone.

College is the time to push yourself towards opportunities that seem daunting at first. If you want something, go for it. I think you'll surprise yourself about how much you can handle.

Study Abroad & Course Registration

Hey all!

I've got some downtime before I head to Eagle's Nest to help prepare for the MLP dance: Glowfest!
So here's an update on my life thus far:

Recently, I have been in a very futuristic mode: attending study abroad sessions, getting ready for course registration, 4-yr schedule planning, figuring out my major/minor. The thing about CSOM is the schedule tends to be very tight, especially if you are planning on studying abroad AND majoring in accounting . It's important to figure out your 4-year plan to make sure everything fits and you can actually TAKE the courses you want to take abroad. I am currently an accounting major so I need to think about the 150-credit hour rule for the CPA exam and fitting in my accounting major/CSOM core courses. I also want to study abroad in Parma, Italy in the spring of my junior year so I have to think about taking some Italian classes (something tells me "Arrivederci! Ciao, bella!!" is not going to cut it).

I'm thankful for the barrage of CSOM Study Abroad information sessions. Each session features a different study-abroad country and a panel of students who were recently abroad in that area. I learned a lot about study abroad through them such as academics, social life, traveling tips, good food etc.

Another helpful resource is your academic advisor (who is also your Portico professor). My advisor has helped me a lot with planning my schedule in terms of my intended major (accounting), a possible minor (international studies), and studying abroad (Elementary Italian I and II next year!). He was also very helpful in giving me advice on when I should take what classes and professors I should take.

I also should take advantage of the PEPs resource provided on the UGBC website. It is essentially a review of all the professors, organized by department/course. Very useful information!

Here's what I'm thinking so far for :
Elementary Italian I
Modern History I
Managerial Accounting
Math for Management
Intro to Law

...mmm gotta love CSOM core. Italian should be pretty fun though! We'll see what I can get!

Until next time!
Dara