Learning Lessons
In the grand scheme of things, being abroad taught me about exploring new lifestyles that I never 
even considered before. I now appreciate the concept of going with the flow and not taking things too seriously when trying new things no matter how big or how small. It has taught me to not be uptight about little things in life. To sit down and enjoy a meal without any rush. To put more value into one on one time with new friends and to prioritize forming genuine relationships and making memories rather than doing it for a post online. I have learned to say no as little as possible because not once did I regret saying yes. Over time I was able to change my perspective and not see studying abroad as an experience that starts and stops abruptly when the semester ends. The lessons you learn will continue into the following months, the friendships can continue to grow after you go home, and your perspective will continue to evolve. Living away from home for half a year definitely has its ups and downs, but I learned to look at feelings of homesickness in a positive way as it made me all the more grateful for the comforts and people we have at home. It’s easy to get caught up in day to day life, school and your phone but it’s crazy to see how much I was able to learn from the conversations with international students my age.
Notes For Next Time
Although I wouldn’t change any part of how my experience went, I would have a different approach if I had this experience again. I learned a lot within the past few months that will help me when trying new things in general, and can hopefully help anyone else going into a study abroad experience. First of all, I would go in with zero expectations. I have never lived abroad for an extended period of time and neither have most people beginning to study abroad, so there is really no reason to create 
expectations. Parts of the experience were nothing like I expected whereas other parts felt the same as I did when entering USC, and there is no way to know how it will feel until you are there. Another thing I would keep in mind is to not overplan, especially before I even arrived in Lisbon. This definitely applied to taking trips to other parts of Europe. You may come into it expecting to go on weekend trips every other week, but that is not feasible and there is so many local things to explore in Portugal already. It is also good to wait until you meet other international students in order to decide which other countries you may want to visit, since they will give you better tips and recommendations than what you can find online or based on social media. Next I would make sure to not put too much pressure on myself. While studying in Lisbon is an incredibly exciting experience picked into a short period of time, the most valuable parts can come from finding yourself truly settling down in the new environment. Living in Lisbon for 5 months does not mean partying, traveling, exploring 24/7. Most of the week is spent at school or relaxing close to home which is just as valuable and memorable. Even though I did not leave Portugal for many trips, I still felt like there was so much to see by the end of 
the semester so be sure to take advantage of local options whenever possible. Finally, one thing I would do differently is to try harder to be involved in the school. Many international events and programs are consistently offered, but with some digging you can find good clubs at Nova to join or become more involved with the Student Union. This way, you can feel a little more like a full time student at Nova which can provide a slightly more “local” experience.
Program Appreciation
I couldn't be more satisfied and fulfilled with what the USC exchange program offered. It was organized and structured really well, and after speaking to various students in various programs, I believe our school does it best. Although Sean and the rest of the staff is very attentive and helpful (especially in the beginning stages) I am glad we were expected to do much of the process on our own. This includes getting our visas, housing, communication with other students, etc. This allowed me to learn a lot during the process and practice my problem-solving skills. I had to do a lot of research and planning which made living in a foreign country not an abrupt transition. We were given the freedom to choose our own classes, choose where and who we wanted to live with, and what we
wanted to prioritize during our experience. Having full control of how I wanted to spend my semester allowed me to meet some of my closest friends and get a more ‘local’ experience. For the Universities chosen, I think they are a very good comparison to USC, which also makes the transition easier. They match each other's missions and expectations for students socially and academically. Although classes were fairly limited, it was all very applicable to my major and I learned a lot more than expected. The program was flexible with the categories and I was able to take a Programming course, and although it's not a typical business course, it ended up being one of my favorites that I got the most out of. Most importantly, I am grateful that the program only includes 2-10 students per location. I think if I went with a hug group from USC, it would enable me to be comfortable and not expand in my friendships and experiences. It allowed me to form a true and genuine friendship with the one other student in Lisbon, but also gave me enough space to where I needed to get out there and connect 
with other international students. I met several students from California who were in large programs which caused them to only socialize within their group, and although everyone has different priorities and expectations, I personally did not want that for myself. I appreciated how this program in a way forces you out of your comfort zone and creates an expectation of being independent. Because of that, I can now say I feel comfortable traveling on my own, moving to new places, and knowing that I can make it work.