Goals I want to achieve by the end of my semester in Rome:

Personal Goal:

My goal is to develop confidence and self-reliance. I also hope to explore everything I can in Europe and to always try new things. I also hope to broaden my world understanding and perspective so that when I return home I will have a better outlook on cultures and daily life. I also hope to learn Italian and to be able to hold a conversation by the time I leave Italy.

Professional Goal:

            One professional goal I have is to become aware of how my intended profession may be viewed or practiced differently in different cultural contexts. I also hope to develop the skills that employers seek such as cross-cultural communication skills and cultural awareness.

Academic Goal:

I would like to grow intellectually by being exposed to knowledge, concepts, and experiences that reflect different cultural frames. I also hope to stimulate my cross-cultural, international and comparative learning in my classrooms. Furthermore, I hope to achieve all A’s in my courses this semester.

Cultural Goal:

One of my cultural goals is to interact with people from Italy and to better understand the Italian culture. I also hope to gain a fresh perspective on my own cultural background and a new appreciation for the U.S.

Identify a strategy for meeting these goals?

In order to meet these goals I will have to remain motivated, enthusiastic and eager to learn. Additionally, I will try to share my goals with three key people. I think that finding supportive and positive people will help me stay motivated in achieving my goals. Another strategy that I think will be helpful in meeting my goals is to create a measureable action plan. Although it may be difficult, I can attempt to measure my goals based on a ranking system of how I feel regarding my progress towards reaching my goals. I can also measure my goals based on time and how long I spend on the goal.

What resources will I need?

I will need teachers to recommend places and give me cultural tips that I would not be able to understand on my own. In order to improve my Italian the best resources will be my teachers at AUR and practice. My professors will be able to assist and guide me in learning the language. They will also be there if I have any questions of if I am confused. Practicing the language in real life situations will help me become more proficient.

Who will hold you accountable?

I will be the one to hold myself accountable for meeting my goals. I will make it a priority of mine to check in with myself every few weeks to make sure that I have made some sort of progress towards reaching my goals. I will base my development and growth on how I feel and the experiences I have had. Although I have family members and friends to guide me on my journey, reaching my goals is ultimately in my hands. I will have to be responsible for accomplishing what I have set out to achieve.

Who can support or encourage you to meet your goals?

My friends, family and teachers at the American University of Rome can help me meet my goals. Since I will be sharing my goals with a few close people they will be able to motivate me to be more adventurous, try new things or even encourage me to interact with the local Italians. Also my cross-cultural class has already encouraged me to meet many of my goals. Our teacher Edgar does a good job of taking us outside the classroom and putting us in situations where we are forced to interact with Italian people.  I will tell Edgar some of my goals so that when we are in real life situations, he can encourage me to try harder to communicate with the locals.

What will motivate you?

My passion and drive for accomplishing my goals will keep me motivated.  I also keep in mind how rewarding it will be if I can say that I accomplished all four goals I set out to achieve. I also know that by attaining these goals I will definitely face some challenges and difficulties. However, I understand that with these difficulties come stories that I can share with friends and family back at home as well as memories that will remain with me for a lifetime. These experiences that coincide with achieving my goals are also motivating factors.

What are the steps you can take to meet your goal?

I need to take small steps to achieve my goals. In order to become more confident and self-reliant I need to make myself vulnerable in unfamiliar situations. The more times this occurs the closer I will be to meeting my goals. In order to become more proficient in Italian language and culture I need to attend class regularly, ask questions and immerse myself in conversations with Italians. All of these goals require time and patience.

How will you know when your goal has been reached?

It is hard to determine if your goal has ever been reached, but I think the way I will know is based off how I feel. If I am pleased with my progress and my newly acquired knowledge, if I feel more confident and if I feel more culturally aware I believe those are all good indicators of my goals being reached.