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  • The Invisible Identity Survival Guide

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    The Invisible Identity Survival Guide

    There’s always a lot on students’ minds when studying abroad, from general worries to specific.I want to keep in touch with family…but will people judge me if my calls home are in Spanish?I’m worried about getting lost…what happens if I have a sensory meltdown?I hope I make friends here… but what if they ask me…

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  • 3 Ways a Student Can Save Money in Northern Ireland

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    3 Ways a Student Can Save Money in Northern Ireland

    What I Didn’t Plan For Financing a study abroad program can be a challenge for some students, especially, it seems, first-generation students. I know that one of my most pressing worries was “Do I have enough money to sustain myself in a foreign country?” I was very careful about anticipating expenses and planning my budget…

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  • Home Is a Verb: Building a New Life in Galway

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    Home Is a Verb: Building a New Life in Galway

    It’s 10:30 am, and I’ve stumbled, bleary-eyed, off the bus into Galway City. The drive from the Shannon Airport to my new apartment’s only about an hour, but it feels more like five. I’ve been sitting on an airplane for almost half a day, and my perception of time and sense of place can’t be…

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  • What People Don’t Tell You About Traveling Abroad

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    What People Don’t Tell You About Traveling Abroad

    As a first generation college student studying abroad, there are several things that I found that are not really discussed when researching going abroad. As someone who had not traveled abroad and who’s immediate family hadn’t either, these things would have been great to know while I was planning my study abroad experience. Even on…

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  • Heritage & Privilege: Multi-Racial Identity Abroad

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    Heritage & Privilege: Multi-Racial Identity Abroad

    When you think about Native Americans, what do you think about? Do you imagine an “Indians and cowboys” scene from the 1800s that involves a lot of shouting and gunfire? Maybe you think of broken English and peace pipes in a smoke filled tipi? Whatever comes to mind, it probably isn’t a modern people that…

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  • Interviews With First Generation College Students Abroad

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    Interviews With First Generation College Students Abroad

    There is no single, specific first generation college student. Every person has his or her own stories and different backgrounds. I interviewed two of my friends who shared their own perspectives on being first generation college students. My friend Andrew Stiehler is a junior and a double major in accounting and finance at the University…

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  • Why Men Should Study Abroad

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    Why Men Should Study Abroad

    Why the U.S. Has a Gender Gap in Study Abroad An article from the Washington Post shows that roughly 300,000 U.S. students study abroad each year and 65% of those students will be women. Many educators have studied and tried to explain the gender gap and have suggested multiple reasons why men are less likely…

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  • Coming Home – Why Was it So Hard?

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    Coming Home – Why Was it So Hard?

    My Abroad Experience I had the wonderful opportunity of studying in Belfast, Northern Ireland at Queen’s University with IFSA-Butler during the spring of 2016. During my abroad experience, I made many new friends who were locals, and adjusted to a new lifestyle. Being a military kid, I was very used to moving around the United…

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  • 5 Tips for Staying Fit Abroad

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    5 Tips for Staying Fit Abroad

    It seems when you find a routine that works, it gets completely switched up on you. Like many other people, I was reluctant to change when I got to Dublin. The first thing I did when I arrived to IFSA-Butler orientation was sign up online for a gym membership. The second day I was still…

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  • How a Hispanic American Made it to Ireland

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    How a Hispanic American Made it to Ireland

    A Diverse Background As I reflect on my journey, I must begin with my family. I come from a diverse background, with my father born in Mexico and my mother born in Ecuador. Both of my parents immigrated to America at an early age and therefore never attended college. When my parents had my brothers…

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