Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY

A16 LOCAL
Thursday 23 May 2019

Student Affairs

By Louedska Maduro
BACK HOME

ORANJESTAD — Last year, in October 2018,
I got an email from the University of Aruba
congratulating me for being accepted at the
University of South Carolina as an exchange
student during the spring semester of Janu-
ary 2019 till May 2019. Looking back, I re-
member how nervous I was when I stepped
on the plane to go to South Carolina. I just
spent the last four months as an exchange
student at the University of South Carolina.
Now I am back home, on the island of Aru-
ba. So, what is it like being back home? I will
tell you all about it.

The last two weeks before I left South Caro-
lina, I was very busy. I had my finals exams,
so I was studying a lot. During the last two
weeks, I also had to pack and make sure I
had everything done before going back
home. There are various procedures a stu-
dent has to follow before checking out from
the dorms. Moreover, I had to say goodbye
to all the great friends I made there, thus I
tried hanging out with them as much as pos-
sible. I tried to convince some of my friends
to visit me in Aruba, so we will see how that
will turn out.

My exchange semester abroad at the Uni- cation, but also for my personal development again. In addition, I am more welcoming
versity of South Carolina was a great experi- as well. I am grateful for that because I do towards the idea of change. Lately, I have
ence. I am very glad that I decided to take see a difference in my way of thinking about been thinking a lot about pursuing a Master’s
the opportunity to do an exchange semester certain things and it also gave me a perspec- degree abroad. I am not sure where yet, but
abroad and get out of my comfort zone. As tive that I am sure I would have not gained if I I still have some time to think about that. Fur-
I mentioned before, I am someone who is a decided to stay in Aruba instead of going on thermore, my family is very happy that I am
bit afraid of change. It was my first time that an exchange semester abroad. back home.
I would leave the island and live alone in a They were very excited to finally see me back
whole different country and go to school at a Now that I am back in Aruba, it feels a bit and wanted to hear everything about my ex-
huge university, so for me, it was a big step to different. The feeling is in a way, hard to de- perience abroad. Stay tuned, my life as a stu-
take. But I am very glad I did it. I managed to scribe. However, I do know that I am more dent continues and I will share it with you from
learn so much, not just in the aspect of edu- open-minded to the idea of studying abroad my dushi Aruba. q

Louedska Maduro, 25 years old, is currently a third-year student at the University of Aruba in the program of Orga-
nization, Governance and Management. Louedska takes part in an exchange abroad during the spring semes-
ter. She is now attending the University of South Carolina for the upcoming four months and will take this experi-
ence as her inspiration for her column Student Affairs. The column will be in the newspaper every other Thursday.