Q: Initially, what made you decide to study abroad? Why did you choose your program?
A: I've wanted to study abroad in Taiwan ever since I learned about the possibility back in high school. I wanted to go in order to connect with my Taiwanese roots as well as make lots of friends abroad, since I hadn't been able to make many friends of my age when I go back for summer vacations. I chose my program because of my family living in Taiwan, as well as because of the food, travel, and exploration opportunities I knew there would be in Taipei. Transportation is much more convenient in Taiwan, especially in Taipei, and being a walkable city, I knew it would be the best place I could choose to satisfy my urge to travel. NTU is also the most prestigious and famous university in Taiwan, so studying there was a dream I've had since I was exploring programs. It's also the only exchange program in Taiwan, so that definitely helped too.
Q: What was the highlight of your study abroad experience?
A: My highlight was making a lot of local friends through unexpected encounters, classes, and group projects. One of these unexpected encounters included an in-library treasure hunt, where I happened to ask someone if she wanted to complete it with me, and she said yes. We've been friends ever since. One of my classes had me take on the role of group leader, and with everyone's hard work we completed a short film for our final project. Working together with them and grabbing sauerkraut fish with them afterwards was a huge highlight. We got more close during the grind of finals, and I look forward to seeing everyone when I visit Taiwan next! Also, participating in a class where I taught local elementary school students about American culture was a huge highlight. Weekly video sessions with a school in the countryside helped me experience what it's like to teach elementary school students and when we went on a trip to visit them, it was so exciting to meet them in person, it was super cute and special! Definitely something I will never forget!
Q: What was your greatest challenge abroad and how did you overcome it?
A: The greatest challenge for me was that the friend-making culture was much different than what I was expecting, partially because all the local students take 20 credits on average per semester. It felt like my social glue wasn't working and it made me very discouraged. I ended up overcoming this by taking advantage of classes to make friends, and putting myself out there, letting my energy speak for itself. Though it took a while, I ended up making many friends through my classes and look forward to meeting them again in the future.
Q: How did your coursework abroad compare to your courses at UC Merced?
A:I took classes taught in Mandarin for the most part except for one class taught for international students. There are lots of group assignments (out of 7 classes, four of them had group assignments/projects). In terms of lecture styles, it really depends on the professor and type of class you chose to take. For example, my Studying in the Psychology of Gifted Students graduate class had nine students and we had individual presentations most weeks compared to an Exploring Taiwan class which is like a traditional large lecture at my UC. One thing to also take note of is that there are classes you can take at Taiwan Tech and National Taiwan Normal University as well through their three school alliance. It may require more moving around but I recommend it to get a feel for other schools and their environments. I thoroughly enjoyed both my classes at NTUST and NTNU, and would highly recommend taking some in those schools if you're ok with the extra traveling.
Q: What did you gain from your study abroad experience?
A: I improved my teaching skills through my participation in International Companions for Learning, or ICL. I definitely improved my Mandarin like speaking, reading, and writing. I can write more smoothly now, and it feels more natural than before. I also learned things I wasn't expecting to learn, like the traditional way of essay formatting in Mandarin and how to take my Mandarin academic writing to a higher level. I learned things I never would have learned in my UC, like using water sleeves!
Q: What advice do you have for students considering study abroad?
A: The cliche advice is to just go for it, but it's so true! The truth is that it's not going to be 100% easy. As soon as you start applying you'll face different challenges. Even once you make it to the country you choose you may encounter difficulties in language, social situations, school, etc. There were times I did think it would have been easier if I had stayed at my home university. But difficulties aside, just do your best and you will grow in the process. Advocate for yourself, take well needed rest and breaks, do what you gotta do for yourself! It won't be easy going all the time, but it's so worth it. The amount of growth you will experience is amazing. Highly recommend!
Q: Describe a typical day abroad.
A: Wake up, take the bus or walk to school, at the beginning of the school year, I would get lost a lot so I would open Google maps, and walk around for a while until I found my way. Typical school experience. What was way different was whet I could do on days off: take the metro or bus and explore the city, find a hidden culinary gem, win a plush or two at a night market, see sights I never would be able to see back at home.
Q: If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go and why?
A: I would go back to Taiwan! I've missed my friends since I left, and I look forward to seeing everyone again! I would also want to go to Japan as a next adventure to make more friends and memories.
