Q: Initially, what made you decide to study abroad? Why did you choose your program?
A: I wanted to travel. I chose the program because I knew it would go perfectly with my major and overall career of choice.
Q: How do you think COVID-19 uniquely impacted what you learned as a study abroad student?
A: Yes, but not a lot. It was spoken about, but not in the forefront of class discussion or the orientation we had to go to the country.
Q: What was the highlight of your study abroad experience?
A: The highlight was the people. The people I met durning my stay really made the trip memorable.
Q: What was your greatest challenge abroad and how did you overcome it?
A: My greatest challenge was finding my own housing. I overcame it by using Airbnb.
Q: How did your coursework abroad compare to your courses at UC Merced?
A: The course work was more difficult because there was less of a connection between the students, the lecturers and the work. Often times there were different lecturers and the main professor would give us work based on their lectures. It felt less organized than the courses at UC Merced which of course made the work more difficult.
Q: What did you gain from your study abroad experience?
A: I gained cross-continent travel experience, experience with auction houses, experience working in groups with people from around the world, and I gained a better sense of how to navigate places I’ve never been before.
Q: What advice do you have for students considering study abroad?
A: Do your research. Make sure you’re doing the program you really want to do, make sure you know where you’re going to live, make sure you learn about the culture where ever you go.
Q: Describe a typical day abroad.
A: I wake up, make a sandwich, take the transit to school, learn, go to lunch at a local shop, go to the second lecture, eat dinner, then go home.
Q: If you could go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go and why?
A: Japan, I’ve always wanted to go there since I was in high school. I know a bit of Japanese, but actually being there would help me further develop what I already know.
