A new semester is almost upon us, and that means a new group of SDSU students are heading out to study abroad destinations all around the globe! This spring, nine of them will be blogging for SDSU Be International.
Before you follow them on their journeys of discovery, let’s get to know a little bit about them!
I just took my last final of the semester this morning and while it lifted some weight off of my shoulders, it also feels very bittersweet. A part of me is ready to head home and see my family, but I’m also not ready to leave quite yet. My time here in Scotland has taught me a lot and brought along some great friends and memories.
My time studying abroad in Scotland is rapidly coming to an end, and personally it has gone by way too fast. I still have about a month left before it is time to return to the U.S., however it is going to go by incredibly quickly with everything there is to do.
Finals are approaching. I have to find time to say goodbye to some friends who, come January will be thousands of miles away. And then I have my last trip to Europe to finish off the year.
Before it is time to leave, I would like to share some photos that made my study abroad experience great!
One of the great aspects of studying in the United Kingdom is that there are so many international students. Some of them are studying on exchange, while others do their whole degree here. Either way it affords me the opportunity to meet people from all sorts of different countries.
Two of the amazing people I’ve become friends with are from Denmark. They have taught me a lot about their home country. Something I found quite interesting was the fact that the east side of Denmark, around Copenhagen, and the west side of Denmark have a friendly rivalry.
Continue reading “Lessons from My Fellow International Students”
Sometimes, the scary things in life are the most rewarding. The thought of studying abroad, for example, can seem frightening. Further, actually studying abroad is down right terrifying at times, and traveling alone has the power to turn you into a statue if you let it.
However, making the decision to study abroad, actually following through with it and embarking on travels alone are some of the best decisions that I have ever made — no matter how terrifying they seemed or even were.
Glasgow, where I’m studying abroad, is an amazing city and I think it is the best place to stay in Scotland. But I’d like to share some of my adventures from outside of the city.
The first trip I made outside of Glasgow was to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh. I went on a tour that’s tailored for international students who want to see the sights of Scotland. Edinburgh is the more “touristy” of the two bigger cities of Scotland, first off because it is the capital and secondly because it’s the birthplace of Harry Potter!
I’ve been in Glasgow for roughly two weeks now and I wanted to share some of my experiences and some things I’ve learned. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what to expect if you were to come study abroad with the amazing people of Scotland.
When I arrived in Scotland I needed a phone service because your phone is the most important thing, right? No, not really but it is useful; the first couple days I went without data, and I wasn’t able to add anyone I met on Facebook or Snapchat.
Hi, my name is Emiliano Estrada. I’ll be studying abroad this semester at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
When I was in high school, I realized that I wanted to get out of my hometown and explore the world. The first step was to go to college in San Diego. What I was going to do after that though, I wasn’t sure.
I spent 30 days in the wonderful city of London, and the experience has left a permanent mark on me and the way I view the world. This may sound like hyperbole, but rest assured, there is veracity in every ounce of that statement.
When I first arrived back home in San Diego, I was shocked by the immediate differences that I noticed between an American and a Londoner. (Yes, a Londoner and not a European. Most Londoners don’t like to be referred to as Europeans.)
Being from Southern California, I’m used to smiling. I smile at my 65-year old neighbor walking her dog, the young store clerk as he hurriedly puts my groceries in my bag and just about anyone I encounter on my daily routine. I thought smiling was a widely accepted gesture in all parts of the world—I was wrong.
Not even a day into my study abroad program in London, my preconceived notions were immediately shattered. Nobody smiles here. If you did try to smile, you would be greeted with scowling looks from the locals. And that’s exactly what happened to me on my first day in London.
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 