In some ways, it’s like I never left, while in others, there was definitely a lot of adjusting to do. For the most part, it’s been pretty easy to transition back into the social setting at Susquehanna. My friends are still my friends, and that wasn’t going to change because we were apart for one semester. Transitioning back into the work load has been a bit more difficult. I’m far from being organized and effective at time management typically, but this semester I’ve felt a bit more frazzled than semesters past. I think this is due to my study abroad semester being very laidback. Though being abroad had its stresses, I think Susquehanna is ultimately more stressful. There’s much more of a sense of this is the real world, and things, to some extent, seem to matter a lot more here. There are more issues to face, relationships to maintain, etc.
I’ve been a bit more nostalgic for my study abroad experience than I expected I would be. I had a good time abroad but dealt with some home (or Susquehanna) sickness at times. By the time December 15th, my date of departure, rolled around, I was excited to go home and be reunited with my family. I thought this meant I wouldn’t spend that much time missing Northern Ireland. Whenever I look through photographs, though, or write up a reflection post for this blog, I do want to go back. It’s still so surreal that I got a chance to be in Northern Ireland for a semester and to see everything that I did! It makes me want to travel again—a part of the reason why I’ve been thinking about applying to graduate school fellowships abroad.
For me, though, this nostalgia doesn’t outweigh my
enjoyment of being back at Susquehanna with my closest friends. I am glad to be
back at this school that I love, even if it wasn’t completely seamless to
return to it.
As I go into the next half of the semester, I hope
that I can feel a bit more on top-of-things than I have this first half. Even
more than that, though, I hope that I can create some valuable memories. This
is my last semester before I’m a senior in college! I’m sure next year will
bring plenty of its own hectic-ness as I take on a capstone project, a Novel
writing course, my senior portfolio, etc.—and oh yeah, trying to determine some
sort of post-graduation plan. I am sure senior year will brings its own joys,
but I definitely want to make the most of this time I have left in my junior
year…and not think about how, when it comes to my Susquehanna education as a
whole, I am way past the midpoint.
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