As the semester comes to a close, I have been wanting to spend some time reflecting on my experience and what better way is there to reflect than through a blog post! While I’m in the last couple of pages for my Berlin chapter of junior year, I’m in a unique position where I will be studying abroad again next semester in Madrid, Spain. Due to having this exciting opportunity to do a re-do of study abroad with all the knowledge I gained from this past semester, I wanted to think about what I might do differently next semester.

I was astounded by the array of subjects students could choose to study at Oxford. From Italian cuisine, to the history of wine and dressmaking, it seemed like there was something for everyone. I even had my own field day when I saw that I could study the economics of crime (which ultimately fell through due to my school's unnecessary limitations). But as I started to look even deeper into the courses that Oxford students have taken in the past, I noticed that there were none that focused solely on any aspect of Black life.

I prayed to make a few friends during my time abroad, and I got just that. I initially envisioned being surrounded by a large group of people and growing close with most of them, but I found peace and happiness in the end result. One note I'd like to make to anyone who may also be more reserved like me is that you should never force yourself to foster relationships with more people than you're genuinely interested in. I've made that mistake in so many different stages in my life, and I am blessed to finally understand and embrace my own boundaries.

As I prepared to register for my last set of classes at my home institution, I met with my (amazing) advisor. Of course, we did a deep dive into my transcript and ensured that I was on track for graduation, but we ultimately segued into a discussion about an issue we've both noticed is intensifying.