This week was a great discussion. Initially I thought this was only going to cover the basics of getting into college which we already went through, so I did not think it would be beneficial. I was very wrong. Professor Schwarz started to talk about the culture of sororities and fraternities at Cornell and how they limit diversity on campus because of their exclusivity, including socio-economic exclusivity. Then he went on to talk about the importance in an abroad experience and the value that brings by exposing us to a new ideas and norms aside from the ones we are used to at Cornell. I thought that I was going to spend all four year at Cornell, but I woke up the next morning and the first thing I wanted to do was make an appointment with the abroad office. I love being at Cornell, however I underestimated the value having an abroad experience. Besides gaining exposure to new places, people, and ideas, I also want to understand how companies manage to conduct business in other countries and how marketing information related to food products is passed down to consumers. There is more outside of Ithaca. Also, when in life do we get another opportunity to go somewhere and become completely immersed in another culture. There are many places I would like to visit one day but I think I want to go to Barcelona. I am so happy that I went to this lecture because it made me realize how much I want to study abroad. New situations make me feel nervous because it is difficult to step out into the unknown, but they are also the experiences that make me grow as a person and that I appreciate and look back on the most. College is not just about getting good grades and graduating with a degree, but it also includes growing as a person, and experiencing different things in life that make us question, learn, and expand our ideas.