This past Friday, April 7th, marked my final day of class at the University of Edinburgh, and with that, I thought it would be fitting to reflect on all that I I have learned this year while abroad. It is bitter sweet that I am done with class in Edinburgh, because it means my exchange is coming to a close. Although I still have nearly two months left of my exchange, the next time I am in a classroom will be back at my home university on the first day of my forth and final year.

This year abroad has certainly been the fastest of my life, and I have learned more than I ever thought possible. First off, university in the U.K. is very different from that of the U.S. Whereas uni in the U.S. is typically five days a week, and less if your lucky, classes in Edinburgh, especially in your third year, can meet only once or twice a week. Therefore, most of the learning process falls on you, and since there is so little class time, there is so much time to do other things in addition to your studies, which if you are abroad, means lots of travel!

Additionally, Edinburgh courses have typically two graded assessments: usually, one written essay and one sit down or take home exam. There is obviously much more pressure on each mark, because they are weighted so heavily, but it is nice to only have to worry about two assignments, as opposed to the weekly essays and projects that are assigned in the U.S. While it is much easier to get behind on the material in the U.K., it has been nice to focus less on the busy work from class to class, and enjoy learning the cumulative knowledge.

Although the academic portion of my year abroad is nearly complete, the lessons I have learned go way beyond the classroom and certainly will continue to impact me long after I have left Edinburgh. When you go abroad, you are completely forced out of your comfort zone, and into a new way of life without much assistance. It is the ultimate challenge, and it's pretty amazing to see you can adapt to a new lifestyle in a foreign country, and make it home. My favorite part of exchange has been really becoming a resident of Edinburgh, and enjoying everything it has to offer.

I think Edinburgh is the perfect city to study abroad in because it is such a student-friendly city, so beautiful, historic, compact, and central to the rest of Europe. You can go anywhere in Europe within a three-hour flight. I’ve been to Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Iceland, London, Dublin, Paris, Southern Spain, and soon Italy. However, my favorite part of the exchange is getting to explore Edinburgh, and truly live in it. You learn so much about yourself, and your own strength when you are off on your own, and living in a new country. I learned so much more from the experiences I made, and the people I met than any lecture in the classroom.

Although I have enjoyed my academic studies, I never knew how much I could fall in love with travel, and learning about new cultures, places, and people. It has inspired me to continuously challenge myself, and always seek to reach new places. It is strange to imagine returning home after a year of long-lasting experiences and memories, but I am more grateful than ever for this educational experience to learn more about who I am in this breathtaking world around us.

My best friends are now from all over the globe, and it has been so amazing to learn about new ways of life and consider critically everything I assumed was just 'normal' back home. I’ve seen the world in such a new way from the other side of the Atlantic, and it has now become a place I will always regard as a second home.

This year has been so educational, and if you want the learning experience of a lifetime, definitely go abroad and prepare to become a much wiser, and awestruck world traveler.