Yup, the title said it correctly!
I WILL BE EXTENDING MY STUDY ABROAD FOR ANOTHER SEMESTER.
I remember arriving at Buenos Aires, Argentina, and thinking to myself, “Wow, this city is beautiful. You have one semester to explore, indulge, and learn in this beautiful place.”
I guess that was me trying to convince myself that staying for one semester is enough. But deep within me, I knew that I was going to figure out how to make staying for another semester possible.
And I did.
Three weeks into the first semester, I was researching last minute scholarships, looking for job opportunities within my school, and talking to my family about making it possible for me to stay longer. At that time, my decision was still to stay for only one semester because of financial means, but I was putting in work and opening myself up to the idea of staying for another semester.
After that, I let it sit for about two months. Why? Well, I did not want to get suffocated with the work of trying to stay for another semester and miss out on the experiences for the first semester. Also, I needed to be sure that this was something that I truly wanted and not something that my friends and teachers influenced me on. I am risking my college plans, so I have to truly want it and know that it is all worth the sacrifice.
Finally, I made my decision with the help of a friend. I told my friend my college plans: go study abroad for one semester; come back and get a head start on internships; and then be finished with college after three years. “I have to always stay ahead of the game and take advantage of time!” I told him.
But then he responded with, “Who are you trying to get ahead of? Yourself?”
That question made me rethink all my plans, and it made me realize that there really is no rush. If I can stay another semester and continue to grow as a person, why not?
Fast forward to November, and everything started to line up financially. Scholarships, paid research, and job opportunities were coming in, and I knew that I would be staying for another semester.
Now, I have officially signed a contract that states that I will be studying abroad in the Spring of 2018, and I could not be happier.