Meet a study abroad student: Romina Lira

I’m Romina from Chile and I am an exchange student here at Maryville College. Studying abroad is a whole new experience for me. It is really exciting when you move to a new place and everything looks new, exciting, and weird. So, when I came here it took me a while to get used to different things.

For example, lunch time here is earlier than in my country, so it was a little bit difficult to get used to it, or how everybody uses their car to move inside of the campus instead of walking in the rain. This is part of understanding how the culture works in this part of the world. This was one of the main reasons why I decided to study in a different country.

I wanted to learn a new culture, improve my English, and study in a different context. Since I came here, I must say that I have learned much more than I expected in these two months. I am really enjoying my stay at MC. I like the way that I can spend the day studying outside in any part of the campus on a sunny day or enjoy a hot coffee at Vienna on a rainy day.

You can also go to the I-House just to talk about your life. There, everyone always is going to be nice with you and make you feel like you are at home. When I finally got over my fear and decided to study abroad, I felt like I am much more open-minded. I have met a lot of people from different parts of the United States and different parts of the world that I consider friends.

Also, I learned how to be patient with myself. English is not my native language, so communication sometimes can be tiring. This is part of the process of learning a new language. This exchange experience at Maryville College has given me so much. I am really happy now that I can notice my progress in school and with the English language. Making changes is always scary, but now that I am living all these things, I do not regret it.