Blog 4

One thing I'm looking forward to doing while in London is watching the World Cup. There's not going to be much talk about it in the States this year because our men's team didn't make it. The English team, however, did qualify for Russia. I'm really hoping to get to go to a local pub and watch a game and get that local experience of watching. Another thing I'm hoping to do is play pick up soccer while I'm there. I'm curious to see if my playing style is different from the other people I'd be playing with and against. I feel like surrounding myself with soccer will be really helpful in my transition because it's something I'm so familiar with. I'm hoping that I'll be able to make friends through playing while abroad.

Another thing I'm really looking forward to the food and shopping. While I'm sure there are going to be a lot of similarities, I'm curious to explore the differences. I know there's a lot of grocery store differences, and I'm looking forward to seeing what those are. Additionally, I know some things are eaten different, and I'm curious to try those. I'm curious to see what stores are different and what different products are carried there that we don't have.

Soccer, food, and shopping are three of my favorite things, so those are the three things I want to focus on to really live like a local.

4th Blog

Living like a local means not acting like a tourist while in another place. Living like a local is one of the reasons while studying abroad is different than just visiting somewhere. You get the experience of what it's like to actually live and interact in another country, instead of viewing it as an outsider as one does as a tourist or someone just passing through.

I will be directly attending class with students from Prague and I will be interacting with them during my internship. I hope to gain friends through this experience. I also hope to take advantage of my commute from my apartment to school and my internship to interact and watch the locals around me. I also plan to find some sort of walking/hiking group to join to meet new people and getting some exercise in while I'm at it! Thankfully, I am going to be living with a bunch of other students so I'll have ready access to friends right in the place I'm living.

Blog 4

I do not think it will be very difficult to transfer into the Costa Rican way of life.  However, I do know there will be changes and there will also be things that happen that I do not account for.  While this is intimidating and difficult to address I also think it is part of the experience so I will embrace those challenges as they come.  I think that some things I will need to adjust to will be transportation differences, not having access to a personal vehicle in Costa Rica will be a bit of a hindrance, but nothing I cannot adapt to.  I think that the living conditions may be different (internet access, AC etc.) but not knowing what amenities my host family will have makes this difficult to plan for.  I currently spend a lot of my time on campus focusing on my work and will be taking this focus with me as well, while I may not "get involved" with campus activities, this will allow me to have access to amenities I am accustomed to in the U.S.  I am not involved in campus activities and dont have much of a desire to focus a lot of time on it while abroad, my relationship with campus will most likely be strictly educational. 

I feel that living like a local will be my main focus abroad.  I am going abroad to be a tourist, but to explore and dive into the actual culture of Costa Rica.  To do this I plan to hike, explore, do some excursion, rent a motorcycle (if possible), discover art and travel around to local areas that interest me at the time.  Most of my days now are academically focused, so I will most likely use my weekends to do these things.  I think the only thing that can ease any of our transitions into these foreign countries is to go into this with an open mind as well as a plan, but be prepared for those plans to continuously change as more information and experience comes to us.  I look forward to meeting my host family and tailing them for the beginning of my abroad to better learn the ropes and to better understand the cultural norms of Costa Rica.  I am sure I will face many changes and challenges here and I dont expect my integration to go as smooth as it would if I was traveling domestically, but that is again all part of this experience. 

Blog 4 - Zackary Welch

It will not be too difficult for the way I currently live to transfer over to Argentina, but there will be a few adjustments. For one, I am used to the liberty of driving to wherever I want to go in my own car, so I will have to adjust to public transit. In addition, most of my activities rely on the use of the internet, so it is up in the air the quality of my internet access. I'm not too involved in my own community or campus, so I'm not terribly concerned with involvement there. I'm sure I'll look for clubs and organizations that are suited to my interests, or just look to find where people are gathered for enjoyment. The main places I will look for off campus to particpate in are card shops for FNM, Friday Night Magic, which I hope to continually while I am abroad, and churches or some place where I can continue to practice the organ.These activities will necessitate branching out into the community. I hope to make local friends from communitiy gatherings, whether that be through Magic, some other game, or perhaps in more informal establishments, and from classes and academic settings related to my major. I'm a fairly easy-going and laidback person as it is, so I feel as though I will be able to adapt to the new environment well. However, to ease the transition I will try to familaize myself with locations in the city before I go and hopefully have something to look foward to seeing when I get there. I will also work with my company during the summer and try to familaize myself with Spanish as spoken in the Computer Science world.

Blog 4: Living Like a London Local

To “live like a local” while abroad, I am taking several steps to make sure that I am already integrated into the culture of my campus and host culture to the extent that I can. I am fostering campus involvement before I go abroad by being an active participant in conversations on my host university's Summer Study Abroad Facebook page. I am already beginning to cultivate friendships by learning which students will be in my module, which students are interested in visiting certain destinations, and what the hobbies and interests of my fellow students are. Being abroad in the summer, I'm not sure how many campus activities will be occurring, but I know Roehampton offers "social events" throughout the summer term (day trips and guided tours for the summer students) and I'm considering attending at least one or two of those.

To me, living like a local means digging deeper than the tourist traps. I want to eat, explore, and experience intentionally, putting thought into how I spend my time and money while abroad so that I have an all-encompassing experience instead of a surface-level one. I may not have another opportunity to see England, or to live there for as long as three weeks, so it is important to me that I dig as much as possible out of this trip, mainly through travel. To accomplish this, I am making an effort to travel outside the city (whether alone or with friends) to see more of England than just London's city center. I will be traveling across parts of the countryside and hopefully into Wales as well, to get a fuller understanding of different kinds of life in England. Thankfully, being located in a city as big as London means that I have lots of options for traveling safely; groups of students in my cohort are already planning trips to France and Scotland, and tour companies offer ways for a single visitor like me to get out of the city. Even though I plan to do most of my traveling through tour companies that cater to tourists, I am choosing ones that allow for personal exploration time so that I have a chance to see what I want to see and look around each destination on my own.

A typical day of study abroad will consist of me waking up and going to class in the morning, with class ending in the early afternoon. I’m not yet entirely sure how much free time I’ll have to go into the city itself on a weekday, given that I don’t yet know my workload or the exact commute time from Roehampton into London. For that reason, I have chosen to leave most of my weeknights free until I arrive in London; of course, I’ll have to do some housekeeping things to keep my room/laundry in order as well. I actually see these weekday evenings as a good opportunity for me to practice living like a local. With Roehampton being located on the outskirts of London, I will be closer to suburban areas, which I can explore to gain insight about the life of an ordinary Englander. On Fridays and the weekends, I don’t have class, and those are the days I plan to do more in-depth exploring farther away from campus.

I hope to leave with an understanding of more than metropolitan college life in England. I hope my approach results in me gaining a knowledge of what life is like for rural people and people of other demographics, and that I am able to explore not only London as it is today, but London as it was in the past. To ease my adjustment into this new culture, I plan to look to my new friends as a support system whenever possible. Having buddies to travel with, eat with, or even just to talk to is an important part of coping with new changes, and I’m glad that I’ll arrive in London already knowing the names and faces of my peers.

Vocation: Costa Rica

Blog Five: Vocation (Costa Rica)

As someone who plans on pursuing a career in inter-country adoption and aspires to be the owner of their own agency one day, service learning in Costa Rica will open many doors into that area of interests.

I have done research on Costa Rica's adoption policy and the council there does not accept private adoptions. These are the adoptions that are not handled by the Costa Rican Council of Adoptions (PANI). They are arranged by an attorney and approved by a judge. 

One way I can learn more is by visiting the Costa Rican Adoption Authority in San Jose, which is the city I will be living in during my stay there. Or I could visit Rainbow Kids, an adoption agency that focuses on child welfare and advocacy. 

While I am abroad I will, more than likely, be working with the homeless community. I expect that this will build my understanding of how to work as a team for a community in need, specifically in an international setting.  I have much anticipation in learning the power of teamwork and how to focus on a particular issue in order to tackle the conflict.

Blog 4

Even though I will only be in Wellington for 4 weeks I plan to live as much like a local as I possibly can. A large part of achieving this is doing research before arrival and learning about different aspects of life in New Zealand. This would include a basic understanding of the history of the country and having an idea of some community events or classes available for the month I will be there. For example, yoga classes or farmers markets. Of course, there is no way to fully prepare to live in a country before-hand, most learning will come from just living daily life and interacting with locals.

Since I will be interning at an organization, my daily schedule will consist of riding public transportation to work, then working with the organization until the early evening. I will be staying in an apartment so grocery shopping and cooking meals will be a large part of my nightly routine.  I will be sharing the apartment with four to six other international students, so I hope we can spend some time together. Since I will only be working four days a week, I will have plenty of time to explore the city and plan some excursions. I found a company that offers year-round group surfing lessons and hopefully I will be able to experience a pastime that is important to the culture of New Zealand with locals.

I also hope to make connections with my coworkers at the organization I will be working at. I would be nice to be able to go out with them and see the city from their point of view. It will be different from being a student abroad because it is likely that the people I will be working with will be older, with families and long-standing connections of their own. I’m also excited to explore the city on my own, I am planning to visit the botanical gardens and the Te Papa Tongarewa museum.

Even though I am excited about living in New Zealand for a month on my own, I know there are plenty of opportunities for culture shock and homesickness. I plan to combat these feelings by keeping grounded in a routine and keeping a journaling and meditation practice. I also plan to call and text family and friends back home.

The major things I’m looking forward to in this service learning abroad experience are to gain self-confidence in my own independence, as well as a chance to gain valuable experience in a career-related internship.   

Blog 4: Intercultural Competency: Getting Involved & Living Like a Local

The main goal for my time abroad is to gain more independence and possibly look at graduate opportunities within my field of study. However, while I'm in the UK, I don't want to live like a tourist the entire time. Honestly, that would defeat the purpose, and it gets tiring after so many days. One part of learning to live like a local is by being involved in the campus/community of my host university. While I don't believe many local students will still be on campus I do know that there is a community of international students from around the world that I'll have the chance to meet and acquaint myself with.

To me, living like a local means buying things locally, taking public transportation to and from places, and going places besides large tourist areas. I'll have access to a kitchen, so shopping at local grocery stores for food is also a large part of living local for me and going about life there much as I would be doing here while in school. It's important to live like a local because it may be cheaper at times, but it also allows you to get the full experience of what it's like to live in that country rather than just be a tourist while over there. 

Cooking my own dinners some nights with people in our dorm can help us to fully immerse ourselves, as well as using and learning the Tube and bus system. If there are any local community events that happen on campus or in the near vicinity while I'm there, that would also be a great experience to take part in and give me an opportunity to break out of the tourist bubble.

Should there still be local students at the university while we're there, I'd like to think that I would talk to them and attempt to make friends with them. Perhaps there will be some enrolled in the summer school program that we're taking part in and there'll be an opportunity there. For friends in general, there is currently a Facebook group that I'm in for the students attending the program from across the United States, as well as from Australia. There will definitely be people there to make friends with.

As for my day to day, I imagine it probably won't be too different there than it is here. I'll wake up and go to class until around 2 or 3 o'clock and then be free for the rest of the day. Because I don't have a meal plan at the university I'm going to, I'll have to figure out lunch/dinner plans every day, but I'm sure it won't be too difficult with the different people I'll be with. On the weekends I believe we have some excursions planned, but on days we don't have anything, I think I'll probably explore and get to know the area where I'm staying.

While culture shock is a real and often crushing part of traveling to new cultures, there are things you can do to ease the transition, and I intend to do a few of them. Luckily I'll be traveling to the UK with two other people from this class and will be in class with one of them, so I can definitely utilize them when I may be feeling a bit homesick for Maryville. I also intend to call my mom a bit if I'm feeling off, because I know I have certainly done this in the past when I've felt homesick and been halfway around the world. Journaling is also a tactic I'm planning on using so that I can vent my feelings to the page without anyone necessarily seeing it that I don't want to. Over time the transition will start to get easier and before long, I'm sure I'll be coming back here and experiencing culture shock all over again for a country I've always lived in.

By living like a local while in the UK, I really hope to get a sense of appreciation for life over there and how students go through university schooling. I will also expand my knowledge and appreciation for culture in the UK overall by living like people over there. By living there for a month, I think it'll make my experience so much better than had I just visited for a little while with my parents as a tourist. While things will be similar there as they are here, there will be things that are different, and I'm really looking forward to experiencing those different things that I wouldn't be able to experience here. 

College Experience

In high school, I hardly gave importance to school. As I was approaching my final years of high I had quite a number of internships in different enterprises. I enjoyed working behind a screen than staying in class. I used to think that the number of internships I had accumulated had forged me to become a more mature and defined person who is ready to take over the world and be successful. These thoughts utterly changed the day I stepped my foot in College. In Maryville College, I experienced a whole new feeling which I was not ready for. I had so many assignments, I had to be active in clubs, volunteer as my scholarship required me to, hit the gym in order to avoid gaining too much weight, study,  just to name a few, the  list goes on and on. I had to accomplish all these tasks in such a minuscule time. One thing that I have to admit is that College taught and incorporated in me the concept of time management. Nowadays, I am multitasking person, I no longer cry over the tremendous work I have to do but instead, I come up with a way of doing my work faster and efficiently at a given time.  I am looking forward to be a 4.0 GPA student.

Speaking of my writing and speaking experience, I have never been a vocal person who talks aloud in class. I have always kept quiet. As the say ‘’quiet people have the loudest minds.’’ In class, I am a very peaceful and quiet student whom the teacher might give the lowest grade on participation. Nevertheless, I always get the job done and done in the best ways possible when it comes to assignments, presentations or group projects. I knowledge that speaking in class has never been my forte, this is the reason as why I took this class, ENG 1100 in other to work on that weakness. I want to be a person who can be able to speak up with confidence. On the other hand, I have been receiving feedbacks from diverse professors regarding my writing. As a person whose first language is French, I feel like my writing skills are good but I am looking forward to make them even better.

In this course, ENG 1100, there are goals I am looking forward to achieve. One of them is to broaden my English speaking skills. Secondly, I would like to improve my writing and information acquisition skills. At times, I need to read a certain contextual information a myriad of times in order to capture the message conveyed. As for the experience I would like to gain from my years in college include growing maturely as a person and to be able to make wise decisions in life.

By Franck Armand Munana 

Living Like a Local & Getting Involved: Costa Rica

Integrating in a New Culture: Costa Rica

What does it mean to "live like a local"?

Living like a local is to fully immerse into the common daily practices that native citizens partake in. Personally, I would like to find local shops to do my shopping at. I also believe that exploring places that aren't huge tourist attractions but are enjoyed by the community would be a great way to identify the interests of Costa Rican locals. Finally, I would like to learn local phrases and practice them daily.

Getting Involved & Making New Friends

As far as getting involved, I plan on taking yoga classes and possibly a dance class. This will help me relax as well as introduce myself to people in the community. Additionally, I would like to find a coffee shop in San Jose to go to regularly in order to meet locals and make new friends. 

Personal Gains

Hopefully this approach will allow me to get out of my comfort zone in a positive way and force me to interact with members of this society. I expect that by partaking in activities that I enjoy at home in a new country will ease my way into adjusting and hopefully limit any culture shock that may arise. This will also be a great way for me to find a common ground with individuals in the area.

Blog 5

For my study abroad experience, I hope to not only take environmental science classes that are marine biology based, but I aspire to also get involved in the community. My biology professor has a connection with the County Armagh Community Development Agency located just outside of Belfast. He has already contacted him and told him of my arrival. With this, I can maintain my Bonner Scholarship, make money while abroad, as well as find out how nonprofits function abroad. I plan on getting my nonprofit professional certification in the hopes of starting a 501©3 focused on environmental issues; therefore, this nonprofit opportunity is essential to my vocational goals. I expect to gain skills related to communication, marketing strategy, and networking while abroad. This experience will shape me into the nonprofit professional I desire to be. Also, it will help me get a feel for the marginalized in the Northern Ireland community. I’m eager to see if there are any religious affiliations or correlations with the less-fortunate groups. 

Blog 4

I plan to get involved with as many things as I can, whether or not that be a book club, a running club, a movie club, or an art club. I hope to find some common ground with the locals quickly so that I get more chances to form my inner circle and build relationships. The phrase “living like a local” means seeing occurrences from their perspective and doing things a certain way with knowing their cultural reasoning behind it. It means that you are confident enough to perform certain actions without being seen as an outsider or foreigner. As for immersing fulling within the community, I plan on dealing with this hands on with the County Armagh Community Development Agency. One of my biology professors has worked with this nonprofit agency himself, so I have connections through him to get involved in the community. Specific opportunities that my host institution provides is a wide variety of environmental science classes. Maryville college does not offer many environmental science classes, much less marine biology because Tennessee is an inland state. However, my host community is located on the riverside and is known for its outside laboratory work.

            I image my average day will consist of going to class, attending club meetings, volunteering, and traveling as much as possible in the meantime. I think some of my biggest challenges will be the staple diet and me missing my family. Otherwise, I think I have it under control. Ireland and Northern Ireland are known for their porridge, large servings, and potatoes. I’m a vegetarian that loves food, so large portions and potatoes work well for me, but I hope they separate their lamb, pork, beef, or chicken from their porridge. Also, I hope that the new relationships I form will suppress my homesickness. Before I get overwhelmed with people who don’t have the same norms as I do, I hope to find some common ground and realize where they are coming from. These are my goals.

Blog 5

I've been planning on going to law school for several years now. The application process can be very competitive and the scholarships for it are even more competitive. This program could help me stand out when applying to schools and for scholarships. Additionally, I want to try to work for the FBI in the further into the future as a profiler, and this particular course could really give me a taste of what I'd be doing. I'm hoping this course will help be determine if I really want to go into the FBI or just intend to stay as a lawyer. One thing that I'm planning on doing while abroad is journalling. I'm doing this for myself, but also as a way to remember my trip better if someone were to ask me in an interview for a school or scholarship. I hope to learn more about the mindset of a criminal to help me when prosecuting or investigating a crime. Additionally, I want to expand an interest that I already have.

Workplace Differences

As I prepare to depart for New Zealand, I have looked into how my workplace there might be different from what I have experienced in the U.S. I found a lot about this topic on www.newzealandnow.govt.nz.  On this website, it says that typically, Kiwis like to have a more hands-off approach from managers than people from many other countries. This site also claims that they are respectful of higher-ups but typically speak to them in a casual manner. From interviewing with my job site in New Zealand, I have also learned from my employer that Kiwis are very laid back people. I think that all of this sounds like a very good fit for the way I like to work and interact with my co-workers. My employer in New Zealand also told me during our interview that Kiwis are typically very laid back. I honestly think that the most difficult part of working in New Zealand will be understanding the accents and phrases that are different from ones I use, but that can be overcome by asking for clarification. New Zealand sounds like it will be a great fit for me!

Vocation and Study Abroad

This program from CEA is specifically focused on history and journalism which are aspects of both of my majors. It not only allows the participant to attend a class but also to have an internship. The history of Europe has always fascinated me, so, I will be taking a class on Central European history and working with interviews of people who witnessed many historical events which directly ties into my potential career path: writing historical fiction. This applies to both of my majors: interviewing relates to communications and meeting holocaust survivors relates to history. This ties not only into my professional goals for the trip but also to my personal goals as well. Through studying abroad, I intend to learn more about the history of Europe, experience what it is like to live in another country and build relationships with non-US citizens.

I chose to apply to this program since I am a double major with a minor; therefore, my schedule during the regular semester is quite full. The fact that this program is also combined with an internship helps me not only to get the international experience I am looking forward to, but it will also help work my SPE or writing communications internship into my busy schedule. Hopefully, this opportunity will help me decide what kind of grad school I want to attend after I graduate from college.

Blog 5 - Vocation

Unlike many other students, I am not studying abroad to meet major requirements. Sure, I'll need to take a couple of computer science courses abroad, but I'm primarily studding to finish my Japanese minor, and to study abroad for its own sake. The skills I want to gain the most from the experience is Spanish/Japanese comprehension, as well as personal development and a more focused idea of what I want my career to be. I will take classes in areas that interest me, such as computer science, history, and language, so I will get a difference perspective on those subjects that might propel me in one direction or another. I do not plan on interning or volunteering while I'm there, rather trying to get as much out of the new university environment as possible, so probably trying to interact with others on campus as much as I can.

Blog 5

The Summer in Costa Rica program I will be attending this summer will address many of my vocational goals as a senior at Maryville College.  This program will not only meet my education abroad requirement for my major, but it will also fulfill all of my foreign language credits necessary to graduate.  I am also very excited to take these foreign language classes in a Spanish speaking country so I can also experience the culture and its influence on communication.  While abroad I plan to involve myself in as many ways possible to increase my exposure to the culture and day to day life in Costa Rica.  I will be using this time as not only educational, but a time for self development and growth, so I do not expect to be on campus except for attending class and studying.  Outside of the daily academic requirements I intend to expand myself by experiencing the culture and country in my own way.

I plan to connect well with my host family in Costa Rica and improve my conversational Spanish outside of the classroom by experiencing the real world of Costa Rica.  I believe approaching my abroad trip this way will not only increase my academic understanding of Spanish, but it will also make my trip far less of a "cookie cutter" approach to abroad.  I believe my vocational ability will increase with a hybrid approach of education and independence.  In doing this I not only expect network with locals but build my understanding of their culture while drastically improving my Spanish speaking skills.  I fully believe this will not only help me better my social skill set professionally, but also reduce my introverted tenancies.  Upon completion of this trip I plan to develop a confident Spanish speaking ability while better understanding how to branch my professional goals in a foreign market.

Blog 5 Vocation

My study abroad this summer is pivotal to my vocational goals. The service-learning opportunity I am pursuing in Wellington is an art therapy internship at a community center in Wellington. I want to become a licensed art therapist and use aspects of art therapy in my future counseling psychology practice, so the ability to learn about the field through a study abroad experience is an amazing opportunity. 

The field of art therapy is still emerging as a practice, making the opportunities to intern or even observe a practice rare, especially as an undergraduate student. During this study abroad experience, I want to learn as much as I can about the cultural differences between the U.S. and New Zealand in the field of art therapy and hopefully use appropriate techniques from both cultures in my own practice later. 

I want to learn about the ways art therapy sessions function, including how activities are chosen, how art therapists interact with their clients, and how clients have benefitted from the practice.  Having an internship experience in the field before I decide to pursue art therapy in graduate school will help me decide if an art therapy career is the right choice for me and could help me get into a graduate school program for art therapy if I decide to continue pursuing the career. The skills I’ll learn while observing professionals in the field will inform hopefully inform my own future practice.  

Blog 5: A Lit Major in London, an Editor in England

As an English major, studying abroad in England makes a lot of sense. As the home of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Wilde, and countless other authors of merit, England has been the backdrop for much of Western literature's greatest works. Not only am I planning to take a literature course while there, which will give me first-hand experience in reading British lit with British professors (who understand the unique historical and cultural framework of their native literature in a more genuine way than American professors are able to), I am also planning trips to several important literary locations. Canterbury, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Baker Street, and Westminster's Poets' Corner are all destinations on my list, and traveling to each of these places is in itself helpful for my vocational goals; I am taking pains to make sure I visit each of these places in part for their value to me as a student of literature, as a kind of literary field research. Looking towards the future to my own career as an editor/writer, having a firsthand knowledge of England, and London specifically, gives me insight into the realm of British literature and Britain's long literary history. A knowledge of these places will also enable me to help others (including future editing clients) to hone in on descriptions of London's literary culture.

Blog 5: Vocational Goals

     By studying abroad at the University of Roehampton, and specifically taking a psychology class investigating murder, I will be gaining some experience for possibly pursuing a career in the field of Forensic Psychology or Neuropsychology. Even if I do end up going into the field of Neuropsychology, a class like this would still most likely benefit me because of the conversation with various mental disorders that lead people to murder.

     While at Roehampton taking this class, I can definitely start conversations with the professor in charge and depending on the subject matter and what they know, could get some advice to a future career. With grad school, I am looking to get a PhD in either Clinical Neuroscience/Neuropsychology or Clinical Psychology. Roehampton itself has a grad school within it that has a Clinical Neuroscience department, so it might be a good idea to potentially talk to them about further schooling and career/research advice. While I already have an internship potentially lined up here at home for next school year, there would be no harm in getting some advice from them on internships and careers in the field of either Neuropsychology or Forensic Psychology. 

     Because normal school terms are finished for the year, I do not think that there will be many clubs or organizations to take part in while abroad that could get me in with the students that already go to school there. This fact does sadden me slightly because I think it would have been cool to interact more with the student life on campus.

     Regarding skills that I hope to gain while abroad that will help me in my future career, I hope that I'll be more adept at talking to people that I don't know. Specifically I hope that I'll be more comfortable with talking to career professionals and explaining what I want to do in life and how I'm on the path to getting to that point. Of course being comfortable with that type of thing takes time and practice, but with any luck I'll gain some of that experience while abroad at Roehampton.

Blog 2

As I am preparing myself to spend two months in New Zealand, I find myself thinking about what it will be like to be a U.S. citizen abroad. Having never spent any amount of time out of the country, I know that this experience will be very different than anything I've ever experienced. However, I think that I will be well prepared for this change. When I first came to college, I did not know a single person at Maryville College, making it a very new experience, even though I had been to East Tennessee before. This past summer, I went somewhere new, to Pennsylvania, not knowing anyone I was going to work with. These have both been growing experiences that have taught me how to adjust to new places and new people. I hope to take this flexibility that I have learned with me to New Zealand as I enter a new culture.

I've heard many stories about people vacationing or studying abroad and getting a lot of questions about the political climate in America, asking if they support Donald Trump, how they feel about gun control, and many other prying questions. It would be surprising if everyone I come across believes all of the typical American stereotypes, but if I do come across someone who has pre-concieved ideas about who I am based on where I am from, I think it will be a great opportunity to have an open conversation to teach them about the diversity of my culture while learning about theirs.

Blog #3: Workplace Differences

Dear student,

Thanks for reaching out to me. I'd be more than happy to answer your questions regarding workplace culture differences between the United States and South Africa.

Most of the time, attire is somewhat more formal for workplace settings. However, this depends on the specific organization that you're working in. Traditional African garments might also be worn depending on the area and the individuals involved in the meeting.

In regards to meetings and time management, being on time is crucial in this country. Much like the United States, South Africans highly value being "on the spot"  up to five/ten minutes ahead of schedule. Meetings are usually held in less formal conversational dialects, and there is no gift giving precedent at business related meetings.

In addition to these things, business lunches and breakfasts are also very popular.

Blog 3

There are 3 semesters, autumn, spring and summer. Summer courses are typically offered for graduate students. For written exams, the first 2 semesters consist of 12 weeks of teaching, a three week examination period and a vacation period. Instead of classes, they have “modules” which are assigned at particular levels. The level is an expression of the demand and complexity of the course. 10 hours of student effort equate to one credit point. Usually, one credit in the US will equate to 4 credits at Ulster University. I will need approximately 4-5 courses to be considered a full time student, which is similar to MC. Also, they usually offer 5 levels per class. I don’t think our classes exceed 2-3 levels of the same topic. Classes are typically pass-fail in the UK. Normally, students take 30 credits per semester, which equates to 36-42 hours of studying per week, as said on the website. One can have a major honors, major/minor honors, double major, or combined honors that equates to minoring in 3 subjects. Other than the combined honors, they have the same system. As for grades, an A is 70% or higher, B is 60-69%, C is 50-59%, and D is 40-49%. This is very different since I am used to getting 90’s+ to achieve an A. Typically, a heavy amount of your grade is determined on the final examination. The faculty student relation-ship is relatively good. The average class size is large, but science classes typically require a lab that consists of a smaller class size so that you can get immediate, personal help. However, it appears that less effort is required of a student in Ulster compared to Maryville College. Ulster University assigns non-European international students with a study advisor, which is the option that we have here as well.

Overall, the system isn’t too foreign. 

Blog 3

Maryville is very distinctive in its academic rigor. All of my courses have about 3 to 4 exams a semester counting as the main grades. Some courses have reading assignments that add to the amount of grades taken. Most of the classes I've taken are set up so that the instructor lectures with a powerpoint, and students are able to ask questions if they raise their hands. Additionally, professors have office hours where students can go if the need additional assistance.

In comparison, the University of Roehampton also seems to be very dependent on exams acting as the main grades; however, it's usually one final exam that the final grade is based on. Relationships between faculty and students at Roehampton is similar to here in that students are paired with an academic mentor to aid them through school. An expectation at Roehampton that is different from MC until senior year is that students are more regularly expected to conduct research.

At MC, classes can be 1 to 4 credits reflecting roughly how many hours a week is spent in that class. Students can take 12 to 18 credits a semester with 15 to 16 being average. In the UK, students take 3 to 6 classes amounting to 60 to 120 credits. Our 3 credit hours equal 10 credits in the UK. Our 4 credit hours equal 20 credits in the UK. At MC, time spent in class each week is fairly rigid and specific. In the UK, the amount of time spent in a class can vary from week to week. To be a full time student at MC, students must take a minimum of 12 hours. This is can be made up of a combination of 1-4 credit hours. At Roehampton, students have to take a minimum of 90 credits year (if enrolled for a single semester, minimum of 60 credits are required). This translates to roughly the same number of classes that a student at MC would be required to take.

A large difference between the two school systems is the grading system. A 70-100 in the UK is equal to an A here. Furthermore, a 65-69 is an A-, 50-59 is a B+, 45-49 is a B, a 45-49 is a C+, a 40-44 is a C, and a 0-39 is an F.

Similarly to MC, support can be found through academic advisors who are paired with students to help answer questions and act as guides through the system. Additionally, Roehampton offers special housing accommodations for those who need it. They also offer assistance for those with handicaps that can affect them academically.

While there are large differences between the two school systems, like the grading scale and credit, the overall systems are very similar. Students take about the same amount of classes, and professors are there to support and help students when they can.

Blog 3: Academic Differences

Acadmic Differences: I have no idea how classes individually operate, as I haven't seen any syllabi. I did do some research on academic culture in general in Argentina, and it seems that they take a more hands-on approach to education, so class attendence is required more often than not. More like MC than UT or larger American universities. Other than that, I couldn't find much else.
Credits: Courses have hours attached to them, which vary from 45 to as high as 330. Courses apparently do not transfer directly, but you can match equivalent courses and show competancy. Emphasis is given more to understanding the course material than the grade.  I can't find out how often classes meet, as the course information just gives information about the course and who is teaching it. The workload seems a bit more, with more technical classes and less general education. 5-6 courses a semester, some of which run year-round.
Grades: Instead of letter grades, a number is given between 1-10. A number <4 is failing, with a number >7 being an 8. 8-9 and 10 are both considered like an A, let 10 is the best, though rare. Minimum GPA is between 6 and 7.
Support: Unknown, but they do require an orientation coming in.
Full-time: At MC, you need to have 12ch to be full time. At UCC, I do not know. It seems you need to take >= 4 courses, but I don't know for certain. I'm pretty sure it's 4 courses to meet the minimum requirement in both places, but it might be 5.

Things I'm not sure about:
How hours work and what the minimum number is for full-time.
Academic support services
Course composition (meeting times, F/S ratio)

Blog 3

I hope this information brings answers to some of the questions you may hold regarding the college life in Costa Rica.  Costa Rica holds a more relaxed focus on course loads than the typical American educational institution.  While in America we see ourselves slammed with homework and excessive material readings Costa Rica offers a more relaxed academic life outside of the classroom.  This however, does not mean you will be receiving a weaker education.  Costa Rica is known for their great education system, and many Costa Rican students are also accepted to American universities. 

As in all professional environments respect and hard work is expected from both the staff as well as the students, this mutual respect and dedication results in strong professional relationships and quality education.  The Costa Rican education system grading scale is posted below to help in answering more questions related to tracking academic progress.  A defining differences in the education systems between the US and Costa Rica is cost.  Tuition in Costa Rica is on average 50% less than it is in the U.S. (dependent on institution).  We can also see a difference in the grading scales as Costa Rica offers a 4 point grading scale excluding the American letter grade "D" making anything under a 70 a failing grade!

Grading System in Costa Rica

 Costa Rica GPA calculator

Grade	Scale	Scale 2	Grade Description	US Grade
S	9.00 - 10.00	90.00 - 100.00	Sobreasaliente (Outstanding)	A
N	8.00 - 8.99	80.00 - 89.99	Notable (Good)	B
Suf	7.00 - 7.99	70.00 - 79.99	Suficiente (Sufficient)	C
I	0.00 - 6.99	0.00 - 69.99	Insuficiente (Insufficient)	F

Credit accumulation seems to be comparable between the US and Costa Rica, for example In my studies in Costa Rica I will earn 8-9 credit hours in a 6 week time frame.  While in the US one semester 12-15 weeks earns students between 12-15 credit hours (depending on scheduling).  These numbers will vary depending on course material and duration (some US credits can range between 1-4 credit hours).  The transfer of credits is dependent on the class credits earned and the commonality between institutional guidelines.  

Blog 2

While this will be my first time really going abroad, I have had some experience with different cultures in the past. I've been to the Puerto Rico and Grand Turk before; however, I've never been to Europe. I feel like my small experiences abroad in the Caribbean will help me. My greatest strengths that I feel will help me the most is my independence and my desire to learn as much as I can about the culture. A weakness I'm anticipating is getting lost or overwhelmed by everything. To accommodate for that, I'm going to make sure I can get places or have someone with me that can help. Additionally I'm hoping to journal while abroad, so hopefully that'll help keep me from getting overwhelmed. One way I'm hoping to share my culture is through soccer. I'm planning on bringing my cleats with me and play some pick up soccer. There's something distinctive about American soccer compared to other cultures and how they play, so I'm hoping to show how I play.

Academic Distinctions Abroad: USA vs. Costa Rica

Academic Differences Between the U.S. and Costa Rica

Academia:

Costa Rica is known to be one of the most peaceful countries in the world. It is located on an isthmus and the society places much importance on environmental conservation. They are not concerned with warfare so they do not have a standing army. Rather, they give their attention to schooling. 

Classes in Costa Rica can reach around 12 a day and sometimes don't follow a strict schedule. Students are encouraged to relax a lot more than in the United States. Homework is typically more sparse and class environment is more loose than the classrooms here. 

Typically faculty and students have a mutual respect for each other. They do not impose a lot of stress on their students and understand that having some downtime is crucial in producing quality work.

Credits:

Students attending a university in Costa Rica can earn 2-3 credits in only two weeks, 6 credits in four weeks, or 12 credits in eight weeks. At Maryville College, classes vary in their credits worth but it is usually around 3.0 credits per a class. During one semester, it is expected for students to receive 12 or more credits. So, considering the duration of time and materials being studied, I would say it is not too different from the credit system we use here.

Grades:

The following chart illustrates the contrasts in Costa Rica and the United States grading system.

The number grades are pretty much ranked the same but the letter grades are different. Also, they do not have a grade that compares with D in the U.S. Once the grade reaches the 60s it is considered Failing.

Academic Differences: USA vs. Japan

Dear student interested in studying abroad in Japan,

I really hope this information helps you! Most of this is based on the information given by the Kansai Gaidai University and the internet. So, let’s start! There are many academic differences between Japan and the USA but at the same time, many similarities. To start with, their classroom culture participation is not like the one in the USA. I have asked different people if it is usual for people to participate a lot in class like here and it is not. It is a little more common when there are international students in the class though, so don’t worry, you will be able to speak your mind sometimes! The academic system is similar in a sense: 80-100 is an A, 70-79 is a B, 60-69 is a C and 0-59 is an F. They also have a 4.0 grading scale as the USA does. The minimum amount of classes required for a full-time student is 14 credit hours which is about 4 classes. Classes usually last 90 minutes and there are research homework and field trips at times. Students are expected to be respectful and mindful of others. There is a big respect culture between students and teachers. When someone is older than you, there are certain addressing forms to refer to them as a synonym of respect.

Classes are normally worth 3 credit hours. There are exceptions like in the Japanese or Kanji&Reading classes which are worth 5 credit hours. The credits are not valued differently than Maryville College, which is a big relief! I believe most credits are going to be evaluated for the same worth in both places, except for the languages classes since at Maryville College they are worth 3 credit hours. Classes normally meet twice a week for 90 minutes.

There are many resources at the Kansai Gaidai University that you can take advantage of! There is the Speaking Partner Program in which they assign you a friend (kind of like iMentors at Maryville College) who you can hang out with and improve your Japanese. There are other different clubs like Tea Ceremony, or sporty ones like Judo, Kendo or Karate. There is also a Homestay program where you stay with a host family which helps you learn more about the culture and practice your language! In order to be considered a full-time student in both countries, I have to take 14 credit hours in Japan and 12 at Maryville College, so during that semester, it will be 14.

I really hope this has helped you! You will not regret discovering the world!

Third Blog

□    ACADEMIC DIFFERENCES: How does the academic system in the host country compares to MC?  specifically, how are the following things different:

o    Workload (# of tests/assignments/outside of class work)

o   classroom culture,

o   flow of the semester

o   expectations of students, and

o   faculty/student relationships

The Czech University System grades from a 1 to 4. A 1 is the best grade one can receive and 4 is a failure. They use a grading scale that can easily be converted from the Czech Grading scale to European or American Grading Scales. Anglo American University keeps class sizes small on purpose, limiting them at 25 students. They consider themselves to be the most international university ever with faculty from over 70 different cultural backgrounds and the main language on campus is English. They have a focus, like MC, on personalizing student’s experiences and building close relationships between students and professors. They seem to have a similar workload to MC from what I could tell by viewing a couple of syllabi. The classes seem to be reading heavy and test heavy. Most of the classes are done lecture style, not unlike the History classes here. Students are expected to try their best. 

□    CREDITS:

o   How many credits are classes normally worth?

o   Are credits/workload valued differently in your host country than here?

o   Can you find information on how many hours/week each class will meet?

o   How will your credits transfer?  (I’m not asking what your courses will substitute for, I’m asking X # of credits at your host institution = X # credits at Maryville College.)

I believe my class will be four times a week, but I honestly cannot tell. Classes through the CEA program are worth 3 American Credits. It says so on the CEA portal.

□    GRADES:

o   Are letter grades in host country equivalent to the U.S.?

Yes because they are WASC/ECTS certified.

□    SUPPORT:

o   What kinds of support services, academic resources, and tutoring available are available at your host institution?

I’m not sure what kind they have during the summer when I will be attending, but during the year they offer many tutoring services. They have an Academic Tutoring Center where you can schedule an appointment to receive assistance.

□    FULL-TIME STATUS:

o    How many credits do you have to enroll in to be considered full time at both your home and host institution? (You must be considered full time at both for financial aid and immigration purposes.)

o   What is the minimum number of courses you have to take to be full-time there and full-time here?

14 hours credit wise is the norm for a semester at Anglo American University and I believe at Maryville College it is 12 hours. I don’t know if this exactly applies to me because I am going to be taking a class and interning so there is no way I could take a full credit load.