Probably one of my biggest fears when going abroad to study in the US 3 years ago and again upon my arrival in UK was that I would not be able to stay true to my culture and values held by my people. Kazakhstan, being a country of only 17 million people, does not have … Continue reading Retaining my Kazakh identity while studying abroad – Bakdaulet Baitan
After first visiting London as a tourist five years ago, I returned this year to live and study in the city for the semester, and oh what a different experience it has been! Here are five lessons I have learned over the past four months living in London… Location: Along River Thames near Tower Bridge. … Continue reading 5 Years Apart, 5 Lessons Learned – Sierra DeAngelo
As a junior, it is expected that I will have an internship the summer before my senior year to prepare for life after college. However, I never anticipated I would be abroad when trying to apply for these jobs. I realized I would need to put in 10 times as much effort as I would … Continue reading Applying to Internships While Abroad – Isabel Lohr
When I first got to London I hated it. It was gray, super busy, and no one really seemed to talk to each other. I was crazy jet-lagged, and spent the first two weeks in bed napping or trying to gather enough motivation to do my homework. I struggled to make friends, and I was … Continue reading The Little Things – Lelosa Aimufua
Whilst my time in Shanghai inevitably revolves around my schooling, a year abroad wouldn’t be complete without some extra-curricular activities. The great privilege of a year abroad is complete immersion in a different city, country and way of life. Whilst I can be taught in the classroom about the ins and outs of the Chinese … Continue reading Shanghai; away from the classroom – Holly Pickerell
I have been abroad for nearly two months now and finally feel like I have a handle on how things work around here! I arrived thinking I would be taking three science courses—Physiology, Basic Biochemistry, and Electric & Magnetic Fields—and one drama course but overlap in my timetable required that I drop Physics. I chose … Continue reading How I’m Surviving 2 Sciences in the UK – Sierra DeAngelo
Food. Live to eat or eat to live. No matter what your disposition food plays a crucial role in our day to day lives. When travelling abroad how you are going to eat and maintain a comfortable and familiar diet is a primary concern. At least it was for me. I consider myself fairly open … Continue reading Food in China – Holly Pickerell
They say the truest support we can offer those in need is not to take the burden from them, but to call out their best self so that they may be able to bear it: I was lucky enough to find such support within my first week of arriving in Spain. Your Year Abroad is … Continue reading Find Your Support – Tiffany Maria Christopher-Ward
Recently, I spoke with several male friends studying in London, either full-time or with IFSA-Butler, to discuss how masculinity is interpreted and presented here, and how that differs from where they’re from. I was surprised to find so much overlap in their responses! Alex, who attends Pomona College in California but is studying at University … Continue reading Does Toxic Masculinity Exist in London? – Sierra DeAngelo
On the build-up to moving to study at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, I encountered every stereotype you could think of when Colombia comes to mind: “Isn’t that really dangerous?”, “You must be looking forward to the hot weather!”, “I hope you know how to dance salsa!”. Whilst these comments came from very well-meaning … Continue reading Misconceptions about Colombia – Flora Medford
Queen Mary Global Bloggers 