studying abroad doesn't just mean being abroad

Studying abroad, as many would assume, is opening my eyes to new things: new concepts, new ideas, new experience, obviously new culture, etc.

One aspect that I am very interested in is my new classes. Yes, my studies truly capture my attention here. I have been learning and benefitting from each of my classes here so far:

I am taking five classes here, one of which is introduction to mass communication were last week we discussed how different nation's media covered the Amanda Knox story and our different view points of the situation.

In my travel writing class, we have been reading timeless pieces of famous travelers and understanding the world from their point of view. We also have weekly assignments to write, read, and share with our classmates to see other perspectives, not only on the assignment itself and how people interpreted what we were supposed to write about, but also of our travels throughout Italy, sometimes throughout Europe.

In my Italian class, surprise surprise, we are learning to strengthen our reading, writing, and speaking skills so we can communicate through this beautiful language to the locals, giving us another platform to interact.

In my history class, we learn about how people of the Italian Renaissance saw the world, how that has changed, and how some of their thoughts are still relevant and prevalent today.

Finally, I go to social media class. Even the way that each of us read our blogs and read posts, comments, forums, and such on the web show that we are bring different experiences to the table. Also seeing social media itself as something other than just another portal for college kids to brag about their drunkenness and such. Social media is a lot more than this. It has been used to get jobs, save lives, and connect in a different way. Yes, social media does have its downsides, as does everything because there is a ying and a yang, but acknowledging that is what counts.

I do not want this to come off as a typical American studying abroad and having all of these revelations. Before this trip, I have realized the importance of looking at situations from other points of view, to see how others view the world, to dig deeper into what mass media is shelling out... Its just that here, in a whole other world, I see and am remind of this more on a daily basis, and I love it.