Q: Initially, what made you decide to study abroad? Why did you choose your program?
A: I chose to study abroad to have the opportunity primarily to study how culture and the arts differ from America to a new country. I also held interest to see how the education system differs from America in other parts of the world. I chose to study abroad at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland to have the experience in studying the impact of Scotland being neighbors with England and the impact in their own literary works. It is also with the desire to see how the UK's education system operates for students.
Q: What was the highlight of your study abroad experience?
A: The highlight of my study abroad experience was to meet so many lovely people in my time there. From the people who I met from the study abroad program, and the students studying at Edinburgh and the residents living in the city, there were many moments where I never thought I'd be able to experience if it wasn't without their kindness towards me. Being able to explore around Scotland with these people have made the experience of seeing all the nature and old buildings a wonderful experience.
Q: What was your greatest challenge abroad and how did you overcome it?
A: The greatest challenge was moving from a quiet, rural home to a bustling city. It took a bit, but once I continued to walk outside and experience Edinburgh for what it is, I was able to adapt to the new environment and be able to meet some nice people. There were times where I did needed to be alone to re-energize, so I did spend those moments in my room before going back out. Sometimes when I did need to relax, walking helps, and Edinburgh being an expansive city with tons of natural spots helped ease my mind.
Q: How did your coursework abroad compare to your courses at UC Merced?
A: Coursework differed greatly compared to UC Merced. The University of Edinburgh expects students to know more about the concepts that they are studying, and that they come prepared with knowledge outside of the class to help scaffold what the lecturers introduce. And that is what the purposes of these lectures felt: to introduce concepts where the students through their independent researching explore to better grasp the concepts. It was nice not having assignments to necessarily worry about, but there is an expectation to do the readings despite not receiving a grade for it. This reflects greatly on the essays, but it does feel overwhelming knowing that even if I had read all the texts and did my best to understand the concepts, if that doesn't reflect in my essays then my grade can be heavily affected. This is what made independent researching difficult and hard to maintain motivation, but it was nice to have more freedom in my time to do the research compared to UC Merced, including having shorter hours in lectures which if it was the case in UC Merced, would allow more time to focus on professional experiences such as getting internships, jobs, or anything similar.
Q: What did you gain from your study abroad experience?
A: I've learned how to research more effectively through the independent studying expected of students. Without having a clear explanation as to how the text relates to bigger sociological concepts, having to do research and read essays surrounding the topic allowed openings to interpretations based on my research. It also allowed me to understand these concepts through my own personal research without the help of a professor, which can be beneficial to study these concepts on my own time without requiring help.
Q: What advice do you have for students considering study abroad?
A: The advice I would give is to stay on top of the readings and the expectations the professors may hold. It is easy to forget about the assignments if they're not graded, but the work can definitely begin to feel overwhelming, and that shows once essays or exams are around. In the end of the day, submitting a finished work that may not be the best is better than nothing.
Q: Describe a typical day abroad.
A: The typical day involves waking up, getting dressed, then having to walk a good 17-20 minutes to the classes. After classes, I would walk around the city for a bit, most of the time visiting Blackwells (or any bookstore) to skim through books being sold before returning back to my dorm to do the required readings. On weekends, I would often spend it with friends, whether it be from going out to eat or walk around the city or touring around Scotland, or leisurely reading.
Q: If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go and why?
A: After visiting the United Kingdom, which had been the big dream of mine, I think I would like to visit New Zealand. New Zealand has beautiful sceneries, and being a person who loves nature, I would love to have the experience to walk around any time of the day to see this place before me come to life. To walk around in the mornings to see the sunrise, or even the sunset would be marvelous. Also, as someone who absolutely loves Lord of the Rings, I can't help but also think about the movie sets they have set up there.
