Global Scholar experience was an eye opener for future opportunities

My name is Kristina Sardelić. I am a Junior at RIT Croatia, and I am majoring in International Business, and minoring in management. As I want to work internationally after I graduate, I always wanted to experience studying abroad. I think it is very a good experience, and will benefit me in the future. I also wanted to experience life in America, and see how their culture differs from the culture in Croatia. The Global Scholars program that RIT offers was a perfect choice for that.
I decided to wait for my Junior year, and apply for the program, as I felt I would be ready for that experience then. Applied, got accepted, and here I am…-enjoying my semester in Rochester, NY!
I would definitely recommend this to everyone who wants to gain experience, work abroad one day, try and learn something different, and become more independent! Throughout this semester, I have been put in so many situations for the first time, and had to work my way through them. That made me a stronger person, and made me realize I am actually capable of doing and handling much more than I initially thought I am. Going through all of that makes you build confidence, become more responsible and it opens your eyes to many other things that exist around you. I also got the opportunity to work on campus which is really cool, and for that reason I could attend many events across campus and meet a lot of people.
It is hard to describe Rochester campus to someone. It is definitely something you have to see for yourself. What you see on movies seems unreal, but yes, it is real in America. There are so many different facilities around campus (gyms, dining locations, the innovation center, etc.). Also, there is always something going on, and you have the opportunity to attend a lot of events on a daily basis. We just had the Imagine RIT festival last weekend, and it was amazing to be a part of it. Nevertheless, when the weather is nice, everyone is outside relaxing, and hanging out with each other.

When it comes to classes, I would say that classes are similar in a lot of ways. However, the work load is very demanding, and you constantly have some assignments to work on. Also, here, professors seem to not care if students eat in class, or if they use their phones.
I liked every single class here. My classmates were great, all very communicative and open-minded. You have so many elective classes to choose from. For example, I took Introduction to Criminal Justice, and it was a great class. I learnt a lot about policing, crime, and juvenile offenders, and it gave me a clearer picture of how the criminal justice system works, and what are some of the issues which court and the police face every day. Also, our professor has a lot of personal experience in this field. He was a victim of gang violence when he was younger, and now he works as the Deputy Director of the Center for Public Safety Initiatives in Rochester, so he shared a lot of interesting stories with us.
Also, the Entrepreneurship class which I took towards my minor in management was very interesting and different. Our professor has been a co-founder of many start-ups, so his personal experience in this field was very valuable for this course. Throughout the semester, he gave us many suggestions on how to develop a successful Business plan - Business model Canvas, pointed out what is important to know about Legal aspects of opening up a business, and how to finance your start-up. I believe this course is very important, especially for those who plan on opening their own business one day.

The food is very different here. I like trying out different foods so that was another interesting experience. The variety of food here is just amazing. From Mexican, Italian, Chinese, to all other kind of dishes. I worked in Brick City Catering on campus, and attended many events all around, which gave me an opportunity to try out different food every single day. However, the food I liked the most was pulled pork. It can be served with so many things and the taste is amazing. Nevertheless, Buffalo wild wings, nachos, quesadillas, portillo's - they all taste so good!

If someone told me at the beginning, that I will met so many people, and get so close to some of them, I would never believe it. However, I gained many friends, who I will, hopefully, stay in touch with even after I leave Rochester. I have a couple friends from here who are considering coming to RIT Croatia for a semester, and some who will be travelling to Europe soon. It would be really cool to see them on the other side of the world, help and show them around just like they did to me. We will definitely make sure we stay in touch, and see each other again. It is nice to know that these two campuses are connected, and it feels good to have friends all over the world.