I talked to a CLS alum, this weekend, and she helped assuage most of my fears for the summer. I don't know what came over me, but after talking to her, I felt a surge of energy and excitement for the summer. She told me what to expect going into the trip. She told me it would be tough and that she did cry. She told me that for the first two weeks of the program I will feel like my Chinese is regressing. She told me the work load is intense and on average, she had 4-5 hours of homework a night. But she also told me the leaps and bounds my Chinese will improve if I put in the work effort. She told me the trip was one of the best experiences of her life. And she put most of my fears and questions at rest.
This program is all about language learning. It's supposed to challenge me, and if the state department didn't think I couldn't handle it, they wouldn't have selected me as a finalist. By knowing the challenges ahead of time, I've had the opportunity to rewire my brain and get in the correct mindset for the summer. I'm motivated and ready to take on what the summer has to bring.