Reflection

With the long journey back to England looming, it seems impossible that nine months has passed. Making this blog for the languages department has had the unexpected effect of really causing me to reflect on the different stages of the year. It would be a lie to say that the journey has been unrelentingly blissful, and therefore easy, but reminiscing now after assembling the chronicle of my adventures it is clear that the whole process was worth it.

Despite being told throughout the build up to university years how it will be the best time of your life, and as true as that may turn out to be, what is often not conveyed to prospective students is that this is very much still a time of personal growth and change. Spending a year away as part of your studies is no different. The main challenge you will face is that of being open to having your views, understanding and tolerance changed and tested. For me, these challenges materialised in the form of adapting to being far away from my family, and co-habiting with people of wider backgrounds and cultures than those even of my university friends. My advice will always be that you should do something very different for your year away, technology means that people are only an internet call away, and you will develop far more than just your language skills.