Veronica Mandella

November 22, 2019

Junior Seminar
Period 1

How Studying Abroad Can Change Your Life

Studying abroad is a life changing experience. The experience that studying abroad will

offer you can change you as a person. Living in another country will not only teach you about

different languages and cultures but will inspire personal growth.

Many students study abroad to explore different academic paths and introduces you to

the different schooling systems and ways of life around the world. Studying abroad increases

the diversity of a student because they are able to explore different traditions, values, foods,

and sights. It also allows students to gain independence and allows them to make their own

decisions which gives them a sense of responsibility. Plunging yourself into the unknown

requires you to be open minded, willing, and adventurous. Having these traits is very helpful

when deciding to study abroad for any period of time.

From my personal experience, being surrounded by other cultures widened my

perspective of the world and made me appreciate the beautiful island of Maui. Originally, I

decided to study abroad because I wanted a change in environment and to experience

something new. I came home from Slovakia with so much more than that. I gained knowledge

about the different cultures, languages, and values of Slovakia while attending school there for

a year. I also had the chance to experience the cultures of several other countries in Europe.

Each country that I visited showed me the endless possibilities that the world offers and what I

can achieve.
 Veronica Mandella
November 22, 2019
Junior Seminar
Period 1

Attending school in Slovakia was the hardest yet most educational experience in my life.

Attending a new school and accustoming to a new environment that is so different from the

one I was accustomed to pushed me to go out of my comfort zone. The skills that I gained while

attending school in Slovakia has made me into a better student. The schooling system there is

so different than what we have here in Maui in multiple different ways. The first is the amount

of work that is given to students. The schools in Slovakia still work on a socialist system which

means that the style of learning mostly consists of memorizing chapters from a textbook. The

teachers also don’t want you to do well in their classes, meaning they will try to make you fail

any and all assignment given every chance they got. Another difference in the schooling

systems is the teachers in Slovakia give the students oral exams. These exams require students

to memorize multiple passages from a textbook and requiring us to know specific facts from

these passages. We are then chosen at random to recite a part from these passages. This

learning style has taught me how to balance my work and study habits in multiple different

ways. It has also given me the opportunity to understand the different learning styles across the

world. I definitely appreciate going to school in Hawaii and being surrounded by a supportive

academic community. I feel like that is one of the best takeaways from studying abroad. You

gain an appreciation for what you have.

No matter how long you decide to go for, I can promise you that it will be time well

spent. Each day will bring you new knowledge, friendships, and experiences that will last a

lifetime. By the end of your time abroad you will have learned not only about the place you’re

in, the language spoken, but about who you are and what you can achieve.
 Veronica Mandella
November 22, 2019
Junior Seminar
Period 1