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Keeping Current From Thousands of Miles Away
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Writing for IFSA ‘s student blog as a First Generation Scholar has made my study abroad experience so unique and special. It has also made it a bit daunting. There are endless topics I could write about, well past 1000 words. There are also students out there just like me, first generation college kids with…
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Cuban Diplomacy: Model United Nations in Havana
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Preventing an arms race in outer space was our task, and we only had three days to do it. The gavel hit the podium and the University of Havana Model United Nations (HAVMUN) conference began. The Committee on Disarmament met in a hot room at the law school of the University of Havana, the alma…
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Study Abroad as a Married Student
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There are many reasons why I chose to study abroad in Lima, Peru, during the spring 2016 semester, but the dominant motivation was the choice to marry my husband, who is from Peru.I always get mixed reactions when I tell people that I got married at the beginning of my study abroad program with IFSA-Butler,…
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Strengthening My Queer Identities in London
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It can be quite hard to study abroad if you identify as a queer person, because not all countries are open towards queer and trans people. However, London is an amazing city where different kinds of gender expressions and sexual orientations are accepted by the majority of Londoners. As a result, my queer identities have…
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Top 7 Ways to Save Money While Studying Abroad In Ireland
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Seven Overlooked Ways to Mitigate Financial Stress While Studying Abroad in IrelandI try to be good at budgeting in the United States, but there are different financial challenges in Ireland. Coming from a college where I have access to a full meal plan and only walk short distances, it took a while for me to…
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Escape the Familiar
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You arrive in a foreign country. Your program directors teach you that you have to tip the baggers at the grocery store, the Spanish you have spent twelve years learning in preparation for this trip shares little resemblance to what you will hear on the street if your ears are even fast enough to isolate…
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Dancing Through Scotland
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How Dance Taught Me Lessons I Used During and After My Semester Abroad My parents enrolled me in dance classes at the age of four and I’ve been dancing my way through life ever since. Dance has been an integral part of my life from a young age and has given me many opportunities to…
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I’m A First-Generation Student Who Studied Abroad, Now What?!
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Applying to college was hard. Planning to study abroad was even harder. And now that my time here in Sydney is nearing the end, I’m facing the biggest challenge of them all: coming home! So here are my final thoughts on how I started, how I ended, and how I’m moving forward. Rude Awakenings: chicken…
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Going Home to China
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Imagine yourself growing up in a world where only half of you is represented. Imagine yourself not being accepted into either racial/social/ethnic categories that you represent. Imagine being able to visibly tell the difference between yourself and everyone else around you with a quick glance around the room. This, along with many other feelings, are…
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Loving the Irish Language
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Dia dhaoibh! An bhfuil an Ghaeilge agaibh? San ollscoil nó ag spaisteoireacht, you’re bound to encounter the Irish language one way or another, and it can come as a bit of a surprise. It’s sometimes a point of confusion; many people outside of Ireland may not even be aware that…