Studying abroad was always something on my college bucket list, however, I was not always sure how to go about it. There are so many program options, locations, and areas of study, the choice can be overwhelming. Upon contemplating which program I should join, listening to professors in the School of Accountancy was my biggest takeaway. They knew what programs students went on in the past and enjoyed. Also, this ensured that my credits would definitely transfer and count at UA. It was then that I signed up for Dr. Lopez’s International Financial Reporting Standards class. We are scheduled to spend a week in London, England and another week in Lisbon, Portugal.
This endeavor excited me at first, although now that departure day is quickly approaching, I am getting a little nervous. I have never been to a foreign country before (besides Canada, but I am from Wisconsin so that is practically the same thing). I am scared that I will not act in culturally appropriate ways and not know the unspoken rules of the countries that I am in. To combat these nerves, I reached out to friends and family that have been to these places before. They gave me plenty of tips, tricks, and reassurances which made me feel much more at ease. Also, going on a faculty led program is helping me feel better since my professor has been to many of these places before and knows the ropes.
I prepared to go abroad by curating a capsule wardrobe. I tried to find basic pieces of clothing that would be mixed and matched to make many outfits all while not carrying around too many items. This was a great strategy as this allowed me to check a bag with not many items in it, so I have room to bring home gifts for my friends and family! I hope that from this experience, I come to understand the nuances of our domestic accounting practices vs how basically the rest of the world curates their financial statements. This will ultimately make me a better businesswoman as I will know how to interpret the underlying financial condition of companies no matter what accounting standards they are governed under. Lastly, I hope to see parts of the world I have not seen yet and value the experiences that I will undertake on this program.
