Skills
Independence
I’ve gained a lot of self-confidence since I started college, and it is in large part because of the experiences I have challenged myself to have over that time. For example, when I was studying abroad in France we were given about a week break between classes, so I decided to take a trip a visit London for a few days by myself. This was something I had never done before, but compared to weeks spent trying to learn French, going to an English-speaking country was a welcome change. Once I arrived, I spent the next few days travelling around the city to museums, visiting the iconic attractions, and even got the chance to catch a game of tennis at Wimbledon. These are things I never thought I would get to do, but I did entirely of my own volition. It really helped me to become less nervous about travelling and in other areas of life because if I can do that, what can’t I do?
Collaboration
Out of all the skills I have improved because of my global experiences, collaboration has come the most easily. Teamwork to achieve a common goal is something that has been instilled in me since my days in marching band, so I do my best to involve other people in my life and work. Whether that comes in the form of asking coworkers to review and document or help practice a presentation during my internship. Or in my personal life, to help plan a day trip to visit a new city, I find great value in asking for help and giving help to others because it promotes increased communication and better outcomes for everyone.
Cultural Awareness
During my travels, I have encountered numerous people from a wide variety of backgrounds, and I love learning about the similarities and differences of their experiences an my own. One example is my roommate during my internship. We were able to share with each other our different cultural experiences growing up. I told him of some of my Caribbean culture heritage with him and vice versa with his Jewish heritage. It was very interesting to discuss with him our stances on global issues and found that we mostly agreed. I have found that the exchange of ideas and finding similarities among peers is one of the best benefits of travelling.
Interpersonal Communication
In high school, I was a pretty reserved kid, and it always took me a long time to really open up to people. During my first year of college, it was a struggle to make friends, and that brought with it a sense of loneliness. However, my first trip abroad was such a positive experience it helped me to learn how to better communicate. On that trip, none of us knew how to speak French and that forced us to forge connections within our group very quickly. I found that opening up faster can lead to creating stronger bonds that I cherish to this day. I’m still not particularly talkative, but I do my best to reach out and open myself make connections among friends and coworkers and will continue to improve this aspect of myself each day.