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Taking a Semester Off of Premed to Study Abroad
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My mind can easily recall sitting in my academic advisor’s office to look over my Spring 2018 classes. Her tiny, windowless space was scattered with souvenirs and knickknacks gathered from various nations around the world. Painted masks were stacked against travel books on a shelf behind her desk. Postcards created a colorful of the exotic…
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Impressions of Prague
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As I write this it is day 101 of my semester-long study abroad program in Prague, and only 21 days left until I fly back home to Spokane WA, USA. I measure this time in days spent wandering through cobblestoned streets with my camera slung over my shoulder, Saturdays at the farmers market, tram rides,…
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Managing Disability Abroad
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First thing’s first, I want to say there should be no shame in being disabled! It’s important to realize that being able-bodied can change in an instant, as it did for me to trigger my disability status. I was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition on my 16th birthday, only months after dislocating my spine…
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How to Balance Finances at Home While Studying Abroad
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Studying abroad is expensive; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Many people are able to finance their trips through financial aid, scholarships, savings, and even loans from Mom and Dad. But how are people with little to no income, who also have financial responsibilities at home, able to afford such a trip? I, myself, am…
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Skyping Home: Two World Collide
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When I walk through the gates of my host family’s home, I already feel comfortable and at ease. My ammaa Puja and I can sit and talk for hours; she tells me stories of her youth, her university days in Paris and the drama of her different boyfriends, how she knew she should marry my…
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The Importance of Personal Days While Abroad
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While studying abroad, time is precious. Students only have one semester to see and experience all that they can, as well as meet as many unique and diverse individuals as possible. Due to these time restraints, it is easy to feel as if all available free time must be spent relentlessly exploring new places and…
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The Pros and Cons of STEM Abroad
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Writing about STEM is a bit foreign to me, because I only consider myself a sorta-STEM student. I started my college career as a strict social scientist, only to fall in love with environmental studies and ecology my sophomore year. Environmental studies at my home institution is half hard science, half social science – a…
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Why First Gens Thrive Abroad
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I learned early in my college journey that there is a difference between your resourcefulness and your resources. Resources come and go, and some of us inherited more than others. Resourcefulness, however, is a skill that anyone can develop and is a particularly important life skill that can make for a successful student and traveler,and…
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The Guessing Game: Racial Identity Abroad
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Just the other day, as I was walking down a main street in the center of Kandy, a shop keeper called out to me, “Hey Japanese!” When I was walking back to my host family’s home that same day, a security guard at an intersection near the home came up to me and asked if…
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3 Tips for Academic Success While Studying Abroad
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Contrary to popular belief, studying abroad does involve academic effort on our part. There are assignments to hand in, grading and teaching styles to get accustomed to, and time to manage. The difference between academics abroad and at home is that the reward for hard work now includes exploring your surroundings instead of watching the…