As my study abroad experience draws all too soon to a close, I find myself not only faced with the bittersweet reality that I will be heading home in a few days, but also with another challenge: finals week. As this is my third year of college, I am no stranger to the sleepless, caffeine-heavy grind of finals. What I am not accustomed to, however, is managing exams while also trying to savor my last days of Rome before I have to say the final goodbye.
My main piece of advice for any other exchange students in this situation is to aim for balance. Don’t shirk all of your responsibilities so that you can pack every moment of the week with last minute adventures. At the same time, don’t hole up in your student apartment and and sacrifice that one last cone of gelato or one last walk around the Coliseum. Carve out some time and go for a walk alone, observing every crawling vine and crack in the cement. Truly enjoy enjoying the details of the city that has become your home. Go out for a final dinner with your new friends and raise one last glass of Italian wine to all the memories you have shared together.
In order to make this possible and minimize stress, I recommend finishing your final papers and studying for your exams as far in advance as possible. Of course, everyone always promises themselves they will do this, but few actually follow through. I personally made the poor (or great?) decision of taking one final trip to visit my friend in Madrid the last weekend before finals. While I paid the price with a couple of rough all-nighters, I had a fantastic time seeing Spain. Nevertheless, if you can avoid saving all of your tasks until the last minute, you will be able to enjoy your final days abroad in cafes and souvenir shops rather than in the library.
Studying for finals can also be particularly stressful while abroad because some non-American professors have different grading systems, and many place more weight on the final than U.S. professors do. While this can add another level of pressure to this period of time, don’t forget that you can only do your best. Based on my experience at the American University of Rome, I was far more nervous for my finals than I needed to be.
On another note, don’t stress about what you might have not had enough time to do while abroad. Everyone leaves wishing they had gone to one more museum, tried one more restaurant, or taken the train to one more city. I haven’t even seen and done everything I want to in Boston yet, let alone Rome and Europe as a whole. Try to look at your study abroad time as a holistic experience rather than a check list. Instead of counting how many stamps you got in your passport, count the number of friends you made, the lessons you learned, and the simple moments that made you smile, laugh, or stare in awe. And, anyways, if you miss something important, this just gives you a better reason to come back.
Even after all of your classes have finished and your responsibilities have been completed, saying goodbye to your new friends and new home can be extremely difficult, especially because coming back for a visit is not an easy thing to manage frequently. In order to ease the transition, try to take some time either alone or with others to slow down and reflect on all that has happened since you’ve arrived. For me, most of the experience has been an absolute dream. When thinking about my fondest memories, I get flashbacks of warm nights eating outside at local restaurants, picturesque train rides through Tuscany, the enormously tall, ornate ceilings of the cathedrals I’ve visited, and so much more. Some of the experience also has been challenging, including stressful assignments, transportation mishaps, and roommate drama. But, in the end, this study abroad experience was more than an exciting trip for me. It was a journey that taught me so much about geography, language, culture, food, and human interaction. Rome taught me that I have the confidence to arrive in a city, not familiar with anyone or anything, and leave three and a half months later having made a home there. Rome has made me feel humbled and emboldened, inspired and in awe, intimidated and alive all at once. I can’t say that for too many other experiences I have had.
As someone always focused on the future – possibly too much so at times – I am currently putting my energy into understanding how my time in Rome has inspired me to lead my life, going forward. Here, I have realized even more so the importance of foreign languages and want to continue studying them independently. My love for creating and enjoying visual arts has been renewed in Europe and I want to continue learning and practicing charcoal sketching at home. And, of course, the travel bug that brought me here has only infected me further and led me to apply for another abroad program through GEO. Just a few days ago, I was thrilled to receive my acceptance email for a social entrepreneurship dialogue of civilizations program in Ghana for next summer.
While I may be reaching one end, I am trying not to see it as a reason for sadness; for, the single choice of pursuing this opportunity in Rome has revealed so many more roads for me than I ever knew existed. During finals week and beyond, I will continue to appreciate all that my time studying abroad has given me. I will use all of the lessons and experiences I have gained in order to forge a more productive, expansive, and aware path for my future.
