Christopher Grover
How I Learned to Not Worry and Love the Semester
By Christopher Grover
Spring 2015
I had not originally planned on studying abroad, especially in Washington DC. The idea popped into my head about a week before classes began for the fall of 2014 and my eyes were on the programs in Morocco, Switzerland, and Israel. Realizing that I was junior and was in desperate need of experience for my resume, I decided to apply for the Washington, DC program since it is more career based. Once accepted, I applied to as many internships as possible and ended up interning at the US Senate. The largest learning experience this semester, however, was not so much with the internship, but the entire lifestyle that is different from university life.
For someone who has never worked at an office environment, never lived in an apartment, and never cooked before, adjusting to this new way of life was a challenge. The first week was the hardest, but soon after, I adapted. Considering the strict schedule of work and classes, the time you have to yourself is sacred, which meant trying to complete internship applications for the summer cost time that would otherwise be used for rest and preparations for the following week. Many would say that the important things to keep in mind while in this program are to keep a precise budget on your money and also your time, but my most important advice is to stay positive as much as possible. Depending on your job, your day can easily go from pleasant to repulsive and vice versa and to switch from your work attitude to your classes and studies can be overwhelming to someone that is not used to such a rigorous schedule. Keeping a positive mind and striving to carry on regardless of whatever lies ahead is essential to getting through each week. It is a life lesson that I have learned and one that I believe everyone should know as they transition from university life to real life.
I have about five weeks left in this program and about four weeks left in my internship. I have learned a lot about what I am to expect when I graduate and live on my own and I definitely recommend this program to those who are interested on what their future could behold.
Photo taken by Cassandra Villarreal.
Christopher Grover is a junior studying International Relations and interning at the U.S. Senate.
