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Category Stories: Accommodations and Accessibility

  • Q&A: Life at the University of Otago

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    Q&A: Life at the University of Otago

    Interested in University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand? Spring 2023 alum Gracie Mathis has you covered! Watch her info-packed Q&A to learn about student life, where to see tiny penguins, can’t miss hikes, the best jazz night, how to meet locals, and more! https://youtu.be/LiGs0gWgt-Q Gracie Mathis | University of Puget Sound | IFSA University of…

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  • Do Not Let Disability Hold You Back Abroad

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    Do Not Let Disability Hold You Back Abroad

    Since coming to Dublin, I’ve gotten quite close with a number of IFSA students who are studying abroad at University College Dublin with me, including Jacquie Kelley, from Vermont. Jacquie studies Political Science and Music at Providence College in Rhode Island, and lives with her three-year-old Golden Retriever, Moose. He’s a service dog, and helps…

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  • How to Avoid Dairy (and Other Allergens) While Abroad

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    How to Avoid Dairy (and Other Allergens) While Abroad

    As someone who can’t eat dairy, I worried about how this would affect my study abroad experience. I did not know how much control I would have over what I was eating. However, I found that during my my dietary restriction did not hold me back and I want to share some of the ways…

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  • 5 Things Students with Special Needs Must Know Before Studying Abroad with IFSA

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    5 Things Students with Special Needs Must Know Before Studying Abroad with IFSA

    The prospect of studying abroad might be quite daunting especially if you are not sure that you will get support and help that you need. I am here to tell you that with a good amount of research and timely communication with IFSA staff, you should be able to avoid possible problems and get the…

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  • IFSA Interview Series: Studying Abroad with Physical & Mental Illness

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    IFSA Interview Series: Studying Abroad with Physical & Mental Illness

    “I have chronic physical and mental illnesses; and if you also do you’re probably a little worried — at least a little bit, about how it’s going to be abroad. But I’m here to tell you that it’s going to be OK. In fact it’s going to be amazing.” https://youtu.be/BxECkY8b9_s Kaela Fong is a student…

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  • Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mental Health Issues Abroad

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    Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mental Health Issues Abroad

    “Wherever you go, there you are.” As someone with a host of mental health issues resulting from a past I’d do anything to forget, these words have always been a reminder that no matter how far I travel, I’ll never be able to escape myself and my history. But as I reflect on the challenges and…

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  • You Are Stronger Than You Think: 5 Ways I Dealt with Grief While Abroad

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    You Are Stronger Than You Think: 5 Ways I Dealt with Grief While Abroad

    My biggest fear before heading to New Zealand was not being able to come home in case of an emergency because I would be about 8,000 miles away. Before going abroad, I had only ever lived about an hour away from my hometown. It was a far-fetched problem that remained in the back of my…

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  • Bipolar Abroad

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    Bipolar Abroad

    College life presents many challenges, but for those students dealing with mental illness, it can seem like an insurmountable task at times. I speak from experience, as I cope daily with bipolar II, which is a manic-depressive mood disorder. Managing bipolar disorder while studying abroad can seem even more insurmountable, but with the right preparation…

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  • How to Break Your Ankle Abroad

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    How to Break Your Ankle Abroad

    There is no ‘good time’ to break a bone. Breaking one’s ankle abroad might be the most inopportune timing. Unfortunately, it happened to me! I don’t get to have the fun story of saying I was zip lining or cliff rappelling, because I broke my ankle while walking down a hill during a school field…

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  • Self Discovery Through an Autoimmune Disease Abroad

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    Self Discovery Through an Autoimmune Disease Abroad

    It started the day before Christmas Eve, while still at home: a strange pain in my arm and hand that I’d never experienced before. From the tip of my right pinky finger, down the side of my hand into my wrist and elbow, I felt these uncomfortable sensations best described as electrical shocks combined with…

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