DU Abroad

It has been exactly a month since I stepped foot in the country of the Netherlands and it has been three weeks since I started class here at Maastricht University. In my two weeks of classes, I have received a substantial amount of work and have been under a bit of stress due to the workload. This workload is more than I get at the University of Denver and I am trying to get used to this new school life. However, I am starting to feel under a lot of pressure to do well at Maastricht University, as I know if I fail a class (5.4 or below), I do not get credit from Maastricht and the University of Denver.

This started towards the end of last week. I had just finished my first mini exam at Maastricht and even though it sounded like I got similar answers to my peers, I started to get nervous and my anxiety started racing. What if I failed the exam? What if I start off so bad in this class I am unable to pass? That was when I started to feel under a lot of pressure to do good at Maastricht. That would mean, to me, to work hard and write down every detail that I thought to be important down when I am reading. I felt like that was the best way to maximize my studying and homework. However, that would require a lot of will-power to do what I deemed a tall task mentally. I had to work without distractions and get things done efficiently. I had already been writing notes down when I read, but I wanted to take things further. One of those ways was to answer the questions provided at the end of each chapter. Hopefully that will help me enhance my overall study skills.

Friday was rough. I worked all day just to finish a chapter of my EU law book. It was one of the most exhausting things that I have done. I have to turn that chapter into a presentation this Wednesday and I am pretty sure I have at least 15 pages of notes on this specific chapter (reading about EU Law Supremacy is so much fun, not). However, I was too exhausted to start the presentation or any other homework. I spent my evening stress eating, which included a plate of pasta and half a German marble cake. It was my first time in a long time experiencing burnout like that.

I have been gone the entire weekend because of a frisbee tournament. Coming back, I am looking at a substantial workload before I leave for Oktoberfest on Thursday. The pressure is on for me to put forth intense effort for this week in school. I do not want the weight of my workload to impact my experience in Europe. I came to Europe to have fun and travel the continent, and I also came here for school, but I want to have fun. This is an experience of a lifetime and I do not want to feel so much pressure to work harder than I am already working.

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We all experience long distance relationships when we go to college. We are long distance with our family and friends from home, and then long distance with college friends over holiday breaks. My biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome so far is keeping those relationships alive with a 6+ hour time difference.

Family

My family is the biggest part of my identity. I am a mosaic of everyone that has raised me. This has been the hardest part of studying abroad. I call my mom almost every day in Denver, walking back from class at night. In Florence, I can only call her when our schedules line up – which is not very often. Sometimes, it also slips my mind. I text her throughout the day, even when she doesn’t respond, but it is hard not to fill her in on everything. This has taught me to be more independent and appreciate the time I spend with her – either on the phone or in person. I also keep my dad busy with a million pictures a day – although it is usually just pictures of dogs and animals I see. My aunt, grandparents, and cousins have been equally supportive with texts and occasional calls. My cousin, Maisie, studied abroad for 6 months in Chile. I’ve been texting and talking to her because she can understand and give advice my parents aren’t able to do. I feel significantly closer to my family because I have been in communication with them more since I have realized how valuable it is. Sending pictures back and forth helps them have a glimpse of my life and vice-versa.

Friends

Alongside my family, my friends are a very important part of my life. I am lucky to be traveling and living with some here, and even creating more friendships during these first few weeks, but it is still important to maintain the relationships back at home and college. When it comes to my hometown friends, it makes me very happy when we chat. Since my friends from DU are mostly all studying abroad, it is easier to talk to them than my hometown friends. When I wake up in the morning, my hometown friends are usually going to bed, and vice-versa. Although we haven’t scheduled a time to sit down and video chat with everyone, I stay up-to-date with their daily lives through videos and pictures they send. They are all so supportive and curious about my life here, and it reminds me how special I am to have such meaningful connections with people, no matter how far away we are. When it comes to my friends from college, it is so so exciting to see and follow along with everything they are up to! From Europe to Australia to South America, it is so special to see everyone’s experiences and it makes me just as excited to see them back at DU. I have trips planned with different people in different places – I am so lucky to be able to create memories with people I love in different cities!

Significant Others

The classic scenario when “long distance relationship” is mentioned. I think it is important to touch on how being in a relationship with someone in a different country has shaped my abroad experience so far – in a good way. I have been with my boyfriend for a little over 8 months. We started dating right before decisions for study abroad were made and we both decided to go to different places. We didn’t talk about our decisions together, because we were fresh in our relationship. Over time, it became hard to grasp the fact that we are both going to be in different cities and have to do long distance for 6 months. Now, I wouldn’t change a thing. He will be in Barcelona while I am in Florence, and both will grow independently but together. I have been in Italy for a month before he goes to Barcelona, and the 8-hour time difference has been a lot easier than I thought. It has helped me really understand how I adjust and fit into the city, being able to explore and fill him in on it later in the evening. We call once a week, telling each other everything that has happened, and it is so much fun. I know that everyone has their own opinion on long-distance relationships, but I believe it is very easy with the right person. I am looking forward to showing him around Florence and just as excited to see his life in Barcelona. I know that although we aren’t experiencing abroad “together,” we are still very much a part of each other’s lives – and I couldn’t be more thankful.

Being abroad means being long distance from everyone and everything I love and know, but this has helped me gain a deeper appreciation for the people and things I hold so close to my heart. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard” – Winnie the Pooh

a dopo,

Hadley

Juggling School and Life in Europe

Fostering Relationships While Abroad