During my time in Spain, I'll be honest, I have done a poor
job balancing my school work with going on adventures. I have done more
studying in the morning before class here, than I have ever done on campus at
Purdue. My instinct is to feel slightly guilty about this. But here's my
excuse, I'm in Spain. Although that might not be a justified excuse for others,
for me I'm allowing it to be one. My entire life I have always put school
first. I have stressed about grades to the point that I would find my identity
within my GPA. After struggling with this exceptionally last semester I decided
I was going to start living what I claim and know that my grades and my GPA do
not define me. So I have gone on more adventures. I have stayed up later. I
have taken random trips to other countries. Yes school is important. I think
given more time I would be able to learn how to organize my schedule better so
that I could put more time into school. However, 4 weeks is short. It is a very
short time to try and adapt to another culture. It is a very short time to try
and find your way around a new city. And it is a very short time to experience things I
might never get to experience again. Through this I have discovered that my GPA
is of value, and I should continue to work hard at it, but my experiences are priceless.
So if you are planning on studying abroad and tend to be someone who is
obsessed with grades here's my advice:
- Relax. Studying abroad is more of a time to grow as a
person than it is to increase your GPA.
- Study abroad for a longer period of time. The extra time
will allow you to adjust so that you can learn how to balance your school work with your experiences.
- Put adventures and experiences first. Those will last a
lifetime. You're GPA will only matter for so long.
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| Spontaneous weekend trip to Amsterdam |
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| Decided to get lost in a labyrinth. |
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| Hiked Montserrat. Did a handstand on top of the world. |
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