Student Perspectives: My Experience Studying Abroad... Twice!
‘Hello everyone! My name’s Payton May, and I’m a senior studying Journalism. I’m originally from the state of Washington! I’ve had the incredible opportunity to study abroad twice while at USC–the first on a Maymester to the French-Caribbean Island of Martinique and the second for a semester in Rome, Italy. I had only traveled outside of the U.S. one time before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it; however, reflecting on my college experience, I can confidently say that my time studying abroad included some of the best and most transformative moments of my life.
I decided to go to Martinique my sophomore year after hearing about the option to take French 3 while there. Truthfully, as someone who struggles with foreign languages, I initially applied so that I wouldn’t have to take it during the semester. My perspective quickly shifted, though, as I came to enjoy the daily challenge of speaking with my host family and navigating life from a different perspective. For three weeks, my peers and I would attend French class in the morning at a local university and then spend the rest of the day at the beach or with our families, practicing what we had learned. My roommate Darby and I became familiar with the Martinican food our host Mom would cook for us, which included fresh fruit juices, plantains, fish and French-Creole-inspired dishes. We explored beautiful beaches, toured cultural landmark, and learned about the history of slave abolition and colonization on the island. I gained close friendships with my classmates and even learned to communicate conversationally with our host family and their friends. Being immersed in a culture and community so different from my own significantly pushed me outside of my comfort zone and assured me that I could face discomfort and change in stride.
The second time I went abroad was during the spring semester of my junior year. I lived in Rome, Italy, and studied at the ACCENT Centre through the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. As opposed to my Maymester abroad experience, I’d be spending four months–or half of my junior year–on a continent I’d never been to and speaking a language I did not know. Despite my hesitations, my time in Rome fundamentally altered my college experience for the better.
Prior to leaving, I knew I wanted to explore everything Rome and Italy had to offer, plus other destinations in Europe that were now just a one-hour flight away, instead of a full day’s journey. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I also knew that I wanted to try all the popular Roman dishes and eat like the locals do. Within a week, I was well on my way to doing so. In our conversational Italian class, our professor, Mario, taught us how to order in Italian and the best things to try at every restaurant. I perfected my go-to order at the cafe every morning (posso avere un cappuccino e un croissant) and mastered the art of aperitivo in the afternoons. I visited famous sites like the Colosseum and the Vatican on class field trips, and window shopped along the base of the Spanish Steps when my parents came to visit me.
Compared to my classes at USC, my courses abroad focused much more on experiential learning. In Popes, Politics, and Popular Culture, our professor–formerly the communications director for the Vatican–would take us to a Roman landmark and encourage us to identify what and how its message is conveyed. In my Reporting Rome course, we were taught about Italian criminal cases and tasked with mimicking the tone and style of a specific publication to report on said case. Our program organized excursions for us to visit the cities of Bologna and Sicily on overnight trips and emphasized the importance of learning about the history and culture of each place we visited.
In addition to being academically challenged, I also felt that my self-perception and worldview were also challenged. I was lucky enough to travel to nine different countries outside of Italy, many of which had different languages and practiced different customs than what I had come to expect from my home city. I utilized my French skills to wander around the Marais district in Paris, took too many pictures to count of the Charles Bridge in Prague, enjoyed fresh stroopwafels in Amsterdam and swam in the crystal blue waters of Malta. I was left speechless countless times by the beauty and wonder of these places I had never dreamed of visiting and realized that the world is so much bigger than our day-to-day problems make it out to be.
While my time abroad taught me many things, my biggest takeaway is to never stop being curious about the world around you. Every wrong turn I took in a new city or solo adventure in Rome unlocked a new part of myself, and I’ve aimed to take this newfound sense of independence and inquisitiveness back to my daily life at USC. Whether or not I get the opportunity to live abroad again, I’m incredibly grateful for the four months I spent traveling Europe and seeing just a small portion of what this big globe has to offer.
