Personal Development Badge

Introduction

To get the most out of your study abroad experience, you must first understand yourself. Having an idea of who you are allows you to set personal goals that can get you to where you want to be.

Tasks

Answer the following questions (500 words minimum):

1. Why are you studying abroad? What expectations do you have and what do you hope to gain?
2. What are you most looking forward to about studying abroad?
3. What challenges do you anticipate? What are you most worried about?
4. What changes are you willing to make in yourself?
5. Name a goal relating to your personal growth that you want to accomplish while studying abroad. How are you planning to achieve that goal?

Introduction

This activity will help you examine your identity. So what is identity?

• It helps us recognize the groups to which we belong
• It illustrates similarities and differences between ourselves and others
• It exemplifies who and what we are
• It exemplifies what other people believe us to be

When you go abroad, you may feel as if parts of your identity don’t immediately “fit” into the host culture, or that the people around you may identify you differently than people in the US. This activity will help you to be aware of those possibilities. 

Tasks

Identity Diagram: In each of the circles, write a word that is a significant part of who you are or demonstrates how you choose to identify yourself to others (examples: gender, sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, social class, disability, political stance, nation of origin, body size, family role; descriptive phrases or adjectives such as "a person who speaks more than one language," or "a person born and raised on a farm", or "someone who values…" or “athletic, entrepreneurial, inquisitive”, etc). 

Your Identity Abroad: Answer the following questions (400 words minimum):

1. Which one aspect of your identity are you most comfortable with? Why?
2. Do you think that some aspects of your identity might be an asset when you study abroad? Do you think that some aspects might be a challenge?
3. Is there an aspect that others don’t readily recognize in you? How might this manifest itself while you are abroad?
4. Which aspect is shaped by the values of your ethnic/cultural membership? In what ways?
5. What strategies might you use to get below the surface and understand the cultural complexities of the people you will meet abroad?

Introduction

How can you deal with difficult situations abroad? A lot depends on your attitude!

When facing a challenge or reflecting upon a mistake, try to recognize when you have a fixed mindset and shift your thinking to a growth mindset! Challenges are opportunities for personal growth.

Tasks

Answer the following questions (400 words minimum).

1. Name a challenge you find yourself facing abroad. What are you learning from them? 
2. What is one (cultural) mistake you have made while abroad? What did you do to overcome this challenge and what did you learn?
3. What are your strategies for dealing with challenging situations? Explain how they work. 
   

Introduction

Taking photos is an excellent way to document your study abroad experience. Photos can also be useful to reflect upon how you’ve changed and grown during study abroad. 

Tasks

• Click, click, click – take a photo! Take many photos! Be considerate about whether people you take photos of are comfortable with you doing so; ask permission if possible.
• Choose at least 3 photos that give meaning to significant experiences and somehow show how your study abroad experience has influenced you personally. These experiences may be positive, negative, or neutral (note: the photos do not need to be of high quality – the important thing is that the photo tells a story about your development).
• Add captions (at least 5-8 sentences long) explaining why each photo is significant to you.

Introduction

Digital storytelling is a great way to share your experiences. It also serves as a tool to show what you have learned, how you have changed, and what you are taking away from study abroad.

Tasks

Create a 5-10 minute story video about your personal journey. Below are some topics you could include:

• What were you like before you left to study abroad? What are you like now? What has changed, and how has this change come about?
• You probably encountered new perspectives, beliefs, and values abroad. How have your perspectives changed?
• What have you learned about yourself?
• What personal values were strengthened by your experience abroad and why?
• What was challenging or difficult for you? How did you overcome these obstacles? 
  

Introduction

So what have you learned? Have you changed? Let’s map your newly acquired skills!

Tasks

Choose at least 3 of the skills below. Think about your experiences abroad that demonstrate how you developed each skill. Explain each situation, what you did, and what you learned (500 words minimum).