The craziest thing that has happened to me is my lack of class time. I am free on Mondays and Thursdays, after 10:30 on Wednesday, and on Friday I only have one 2-hour long class. This crazy reality is one of the things which gives me so much freedom this semester. My schedule allows a good amount of time for me to spend in Paris. Also, the consistent three-day weekend affords many trips across Europe which of course is a freedom most study abroad students should pursue. I can leave Friday night or Saturday morning and return on Monday. My grandmother asked if I am learning enough or if I should take more classes. I assured her that this is the perfect plan. If the student takes advantage of what they are given, and arranges their schedule properly to begin with, then they will acquire enough time to follow the opportunities and interests around them.

For me, I speak of the museums, the city, and the language. Rather than being in a classroom learning about one subject, which I may care more or less about, I am allowed to be pursuing something of which I am completely invested in and of which is also educational. That is, the artwork of the Italian Renaissance, French painting, modern American/contemporary art, history of Paris, architecture, Shakespearian sonnets, personal reading, etc. These could all be classes of their own, and yet it is possible because I have few university courses. I write more because I’m not in class, and I read more when I’m not in class. And I’m in the library before and after the classes on the days I do have them, which is when I can spend an extended amount of time doing my academic work.

I suppose if one spent their time in less productive ways, they would not be benefiting as much as they could be from being enrolled in nearly only 11 hours of class time per week. The student should fill their time with activities which they feel are beneficial for their personal development. This could be more than reading and writing and visiting museums. The student may be more inclined to meet up with the extraordinarily friendly international group, who meet up together often and have parties and make fun excursions. And the most casual conversation may inadvertently be very educational in itself, by including some mention of their home politics, geography of Italy, conflict between Chile and Argentina, etc. That is, there are many avenues of personal development precisely because there is such relatively little class time here. I think anyone who travels here for a semester, (and I think everyone who can, absolutely should) would be happily surprised at the free time they have to pursue what motivates them, interests them, and hopefully, what makes them a better person.

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