Story Location: Scotland
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An Outsider’s Inside View of History in Scotland
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When I arrived in Scotland, I saw blue and white (the colors of Scotland) stickers reading “Yes” everywhere—on cars, street signs, windows, even my neighbor’s toaster. Windows were hung with “Yes” flags, which also littered a street I walked by to get to class each morning. I had never seen a single word carry so…
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Culture Shock in Scotland
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I chose the University of St Andrews as my study abroad destination because, coming from Bowdoin College with just over 1,800 students, St Andrews would not seem overwhelmingly large. The fact that Scotland is English-speaking and not wildly different from the United States was also a huge plus. And IFSA orientation in Edinburgh, I felt…
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An Accented Change: Studying Abroad in Scotland
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Prior to my arrival in Edinburgh, I had only a vague idea of what a Scottish accent sounded like. Based on characters I’d heard in movies like Brave and shows like Outlander, I expected thick rolling r’s and bright intonations at the ends of phrases, but it was only after stepping off the plane at…
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You’re Not Who You Say You Are
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The Assumption We all make assumptions. Whether it be about foods we never tried, movies, people, or ourselves. And the assumption of ourselves can be the most dangerous assumption. Before going abroad to Glasgow I already had a list of assumptions about myself: I would find it hard to live in an apartment, cooking is…
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If You Ain’t Got No Money… That’s Alright
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Financial Aid Office Congratulations! You’ve just gotten accepted into your dream study abroad experience. You can now utilize the packing and shopping lists you made five months prior when fantasizing about this happening, and buy your pending Amazon cart— oh wait, what’s that? You never thought you’d get this far and have no idea where…
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Fish Out of Water: Navigating Glasgow as an African Caribbean
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Early Stages Since my early high school days I dreamt of studying abroad, whether that be in Japan, India, Lithuania, or somewhere else it didn’t matter; I wanted to see the world. Coming from an immigrant working middle class family from the Caribbean, I didn’t have the luxury of exploring outside the country, much less…
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Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. Study Abroad.
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Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. Study Abroad. Last week, and while I was on a video call with my sister, I came to a rather interesting realization. As my eyes wandered around the room behind me through the screen, I noticed one of my suitcases could be seen through the frame. On it, I…
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Scotts and Greek Thracians
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Discovering Similarities between the Scottish Past and My Own wile Studying Abroad Dishes Not Meant for the Faint Hearted My very first stroll around Edinburgh felt familiar. It happened on a random Sunday, in the middle of September, on a fittingly gloomy afternoon. While exploring Old Town, I came across a local pub and, as…
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Abroad from Abroad
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Studying in the United States and Scotland as a First-Generation Student Attending college in the U.S. as a first-generation, international student shaped me. I found who I am, what I represent, and what my purpose is. However, having to contend with the expectations I had imposed on myself as a freshman was the greatest challenge…
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So You Want to Go Abroad? Tips I Wish I Knew Before Studying Abroad
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Set a Budget! Doing some shopping in London This is something that you will hear over and over again but it is very important. It can be very easy to get carried away by all of the amazing things that you will experience. Keep in mind this is also okay, if you plan for it!…
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