Tonight is the last night, I will spend in Los Angeles for this round. It is both wistful and exciting that this is the end of one chapter in my life, but also the beginning of a new one, and I thought I would mark this milestone with some reflections on this past semester (or trimester, as it officially was).
It has been the first time that I have traveled abroad on my own, and I think it has given me exactly what I expected. I went in to the semester thinking it would be nothing special to just live in a different place, but also recognizing that I would still experience a lot of novelty from all the new things here. That is precisely how it has been to come here. I felt a bit lost in a big city in the beginning, and on and off throughout the semester I have missed my near and dear ones back home.
I was hoping I would get to experience more of feeling on my own while I was here, but I have actually had so many people visiting that I never really got that feeling of being entirely on my own. I had friends from Copenhagen Business School and my good friend from the military visit, I had my mom and my sister visit, I had my uncle and aunt visit, and the business partner I recently decided not to be partners with anymore has been here since late September and has just left today.
I think I would benefit a lot from doing an entire trip where I will be on my own. I think it reveals a lot about yourself when there is nobody to rely on, and that is for sure something I could use. I feel a bit anxious about starting my business on my own, but in the same way as with travelling alone, I think I will grow immensely from taking responsibility for my dreams. It’s not that I don’t want help from others, but I think it is important to be able to handle yourself, and I think it would be a huge confidence boost to experience success when being entirely on my own.
The semester has definitely not turned out as I expected travelling-wise. I thought I would go do many more things, but I have both not felt the need to do that much, and I haven’t taken action on it either. I think I would have done some more travelling if I didn’t have to deal with the partnership issues, and if I didn’t feel financially restrained, but I will have plenty of time to see some more of the US, and I have seen the most important things here, i.e. San Francisco and Yosemite Valley.
I have gotten several good friends here. I don’t feel like I ever reached that point where I would be at my best and most authentic self, but I know that my friends here really cared for me, and I really cared for them. They are definitely people that I would have no problem seeing again if a chance presents itself.
Regarding the education, I have to say that I was not impressed. It has definitely been an experience to see what it’s like to study in the US, and of course my university here is not representative of all American universities, but I thought the level was rather low, and I fear that it’s a systemic issue. I think the educational format with a lot of small assignments, focus on attendance and dividing the grades into very specific metrics that are not realistic to follow create a dynamic where you do not give the students freedom to learn for themselves, and I think that you never really go in-depth with the material, which I think is needed in order to reflect critically on the theories. However, it was also an MBA rather than a M.Sc., and the focus is therefore on application, rather than the science behind. I did, however, feel that the level was rather low, and it was quite easy to get good grades without much effort.
Overall, I have learned a lot from this experience in California. I have developed a lot personally, but it has mainly been due to struggles and not because of ‘achievement’. It is with mixed feelings that I end the time here in California. It has treated me well, but I have also had my share of trouble. I come out of this journey more self-aware and excited to go back to relax with family and friends over Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and then to go full throttle on my business. I feel sanguine and excited about the business especially, and my recent reflections and research have made me even more sure that the path I am taking is the right one for me.