Paige M. - Cork, Ireland - Spring 2011

Greetings from Ireland, future study abroad-ers!  I hope your spring semester is treating you well so far, and if it’s not, don’t worry!  You have something very exciting to look forward to.

           

My name is Paige and I’ve been in Ireland for almost eight weeks now.  I am studying at University College Cork and I’m having the best time.  I am quickly setting into the local way of thinking, in that I believe that Cork is Ireland’s real capital.  Go Rebels! It is the second largest city in Ireland and I’ve been told it is the last true Irish city.  Whatever your opinion is, one cannot deny that Cork is one cool place.  Very active, it caters to college students and older adults as well.  It’s a nice co-mingling and there is rarely a dull moment, unless it’s Saturday or Sunday morning.  The city doesn’t wake up on the weekends until about noon. 

When you get to where ever it is you are going, you may find some cultural differences harder to get over than others.  I think the hardest one for me, and most of my American friends here, is the time.  Everyone in Ireland is “late.”  And I mean everyone.  It is how their society is run.  Take classes for example.  The lecturer (professor) is never in the room at the time class is supposed to start.  In fact, the lecturer is often one of the last one’s in the room, walking in at 5, maybe 10 minutes past.  I’ve been to pubs where live music gigs start a half hour after what it says on the poster.  I’m getting much better at not anxiously watching the clock to make sure I’ve not been stood up by my friends.  You just have to recognize it as a cultural difference.  (These terms you learn in class actually do apply to real life situations! And they can help!)

I have been traveling a lot around Ireland on the weekends.  The fact that I have no class on Fridays helps.  Another cultural difference: lecturers don’t want to teach on Fridays just as much as students don’t want to learn on Fridays.  Or early in the morning for that matter. No class starts before 9 AM here.  And it is rare to get a Friday class.  I am in love with my class schedule! But, as I mentioned, traveling.  It is so easy! I have been to Blarney, Connemara, the Aran Islands, Galway, Limerick, Dublin, and the Cliffs of Moher.  I have plans to go to Northern Ireland and the Ring of Kerry in the next few weeks.  I have the entire month of April off, so I’ll be doing continental Europe traveling then.  It sounds like vacation, but trust me it’s not. I’ve got three or four essays that need to be done before that, so my weeks are spent doing work.  If you manage your time properly, you can get plenty of work done during the day, and still be able to go out at night and on weekends.  It’s all great craic (irish slang term for fun, pronounced like “crack”).

I live with two other Americans, and two Irish girls.  It has helped so much in integrating myself into the culture a bit more.  They’ve been so nice, and have even invited us to stay in their homes for a weekend.  We’ve become really close friends, and if I weren’t living with them, I know I would have a harder time dealing with cultural differences.  A piece of advice: get involved in something.  It sounds cheesy but it’s one of the only ways you’ll meet fellow students at your university.  You don’t even need to technically sign up for anything, just go to a few events and see who’s there.  It works.

Let me end with this. You are in good company and very trustworthy hands.  If you pay attention, listen to Alice, and take the time to properly prepare yourself for this experience, you will be grateful.  Enjoy getting ready and get excited! It’s going to be great.

-Paige

Catie C. - Puebla, Mexico - Spring 2011

This semester I’m studying abroad in Puebla, Mexico, a beautiful colonial town with a ton of culture. I’ve been here for about 4 weeks, and I’ve already learned more than I could have imagined. I am living in a residence hall, instead of doing a home-stay, and I definitely made the right choice for me. My roommate is from northern Mexico and she has made it her personal responsibility to see that my experience here is an unforgettable one. She invited me to stay at her house over Spring Break and already has the entire itinerary planned out. I have met so many amazing people not just from Mexico, but from Australia, Korea, Germany, and France who have made me feel so welcome. People here do not hesitate to invite you to their homes. I’ve already saved a fortune by staying with extremely generous people who provide an experience way more memorable than a hotel.

As far as my classes go, I am learning a lot. Before leaving for Mexico, I was really worried about being able to understand everything in Spanish and adequately participate, but I have had no problems. In fact, sometimes I’m the only one participating. I’m currently taking International Economics, International Business, Ethics in Economic Sciences, and Mexican Culture and Tradition, in Spanish of course. My workload is not too overwhelming. I still have plenty of time to hang out with friends, go out to clubs, and travel. I have also begun my Service Learning, which consists of teaching English at an elementary school five hours a week. The kids can be pretty tough to handle at times, but rest assured your Spanish will improve.

I would say I’ve definitely experienced culture shock, if not because of the language, then because of the extremely laid-back atmosphere here. It can be hard to transition from face-paced America to Mexico, where fast food constitutes any establishment that prepares your food in less than 30 minutes. However, there are so many awesome things to see and do here that the transition becomes easier. So far, I’ve taken a weekend trip to Mexico City, I’ve gone to see pyramids in Cholula, I’ve been to an African Safari (yes, an African Safari), and I’ve visited another state in Mexico named Tlaxcala. I plan to do a lot more traveling in the next couple months!

Every time I think about all that there is left to see and do, the months begin to shrink! I recommend planning as much as you can into your semester because the time will fly by! Also, quit worrying! Everything I previously worried about, like what to bring, making friends, or classes, ended up not being a big deal at all. Once you get here everything will fall into place.

Jennifer G. - Rome, Italy - Spring 2011

Ciao fellow Elmhurst College students! I’m studying in Rome, Italy this semester through the IES study abroad program. If you are thinking about studying in Italy, GO TO ROME! There is so much to do and see in Rome, and it is easy to travel to other places in Italy or other European countries in general from Rome. And the weather in Rome is awesome, I don’t even check the weather to pick my clothes out because so far it’s been super nice out 60 degree weather (unlike the blizzard I left behind right in the knick of time). First off, I’d like to tell you that Alice is correct that you WILL have ups and downs while studying in a foreign country, especially in your first week. Expect things to be different, to go wrong, to get lost, and to make mistakes, ITS ALL OK. Just remember to breath. Chances are you will take the wrong tram or bus, it happens, everyone does it but you will be fine! Some things are very confusing when you are abroad, just observe others and don’t worry if you are picked out as an American because of it. People will help you along the way, but just be cautious. I absolutely made the best decision of my life by coming to Rome. I had an exploration day yesterday with a boy I met in my program and got to see the Jewish ghetto, Vittorio Emanuele building, and the Roman Forum. These are just a few main sites to see in Rome, but there are so many more. When you are viewing these magnificent places, you can’t help but feel that you are a part of history. I found myself feeling like a little kid in a playground exploring all of these places. It’s mind boggling how old some of the structures in Rome are and how on earth people even knew how to make the materials that these buildings were constructed with and that they have lasted for thousands of years. Also, I find myself imagining what they must have looked like when they were new. A lot of places are ruins because of war and what not, so only partial structures exist, yet they are still absolutely beautiful. The Vittorio Emanuele building (which people call the wedding cake building because it looks like a cake with tiers to it) is a must see. From atop of the building you can see all of Rome! There were places that I’d been to and it was so amazing to see all of them from atop one building. And ladies, the shopping is great! There are some things that are more expensive, but that’s also because they are higher quality items, and you can still find deals if you look for them. I was fortunate to arrive when I did because they still had huge after Christmas sales that go on all of January and into mid-February on the main shopping strip called Via del Corso. I will warn everyone that prices of things don’t always make sense though. For instance, shampoo in bottles smaller than we would buy in the states is expensive, yet Red Bull and wine can be found for under 2 Euro! So you will find some items for cheaper than in the states, and others more expensive. Grocery shopping is awesome because food products are well priced and there are usually tons of deals. Depending where you are studying your program will warn you about pickpocketing a lot. Just be cautious when you are on crowded trams or busses. I bought a side bag and when I get on a crowded tram or bus I just move it to the front of me and keep one hand on it just in case. And I keep my ATM card at the apartment and only carry as much cash on me as I think I will need for whatever I am doing. When I talked to a full year student who was pick-pocketed, she even said it was just because she wasn’t paying enough attention, so just use your brain. The restaurants are all basically fantastic no matter where you go. It’s best to go off the beaten path away from touristy restaurants and find cute little ones that have good pricing. I love my little town of Trastevere, it’s so cute and fun. There are a ton of main little piazzas where many people gather at night and hang out. I already have my own little pizza place right down my block that is delicious and inexpensive. My classes start Monday and it’s bittersweet because I am having so much fun I don’t want to study, but at the same time I am dying to learn more about Rome so that when I am viewing an ancient structure I will actually know the story behind its past.  And just a heads up, if you are a shy person practice getting out of your shell now. I personally am outgoing so I’ve already met tons of people in my program and meet up with them at night. You will not enjoy your time if you choose to keep to yourself and stay in the apartment all of the time. My roommates are fun but they spend all of their time at home and I know they are not having nearly as much fun as I am because I go out and explore and meet people. If you want to sit at home then just stay in Elmhurst, but if you want to have the time of your life be friendly and get people from your programs phone numbers and just put yourself out there! Isolating yourself from people will only make you want to go home, so don’t be judgmental upon arrival and just make nice with everyone.  Everyone is in the same boat as you, they are all in a new place and experiencing a different lifestyle than they are used to. I talk to my friends and family often but I also make sure I am not home all the time on my computer on facebook and skype so that I get the most out of this experience.

Ali K. - Dublin, Ireland - Spring 2011

Dia dhuit! Conas atá tú? That's Irish for Hello, and How are you?

I've been studying abroad in Dublin using IES Irish General Studies Program for nearly a month now. The city here is vibrant and the people are very warm and welcoming. It's the middle of winter, but the temperature never gets below freezing. But there's a common saying in Ireland, that Ireland's weather is fickle at best. I have found this statement to be true as the weather changes rather quickly and rains a lot. But its much better than 2.5 feet of snow!

Dublin is a relatively young city with about 70% of its population between the ages of 20-40. As such, life in the city is exciting with the many pubs playing traditional irish music and dance clubs. During the day, there are plenty of places to shop and places of interest, like the National Museum of Ireland or St. Stephen's Green. I especially like Grafton Street, which despite being a tourist area, always has many things going on that can keep your attention for hours.

Dublin is also a "walking city." The city is smaller, compared to Chicago and New York, which makes it easier to walk everywhere. And that's just what the people here do. They walk everywhere! I've been doing it mostly myself (with the help of occasional public buses). One can really get far with a little bit of pocket change and a map.

For my classes, my curriculum is very unique and unlike any other classes in the world. All of my classes are about some aspect of Ireland. For instance, I'm taking a class called Irish Myth & Folkfore, which involves reading Celtic myths and discussing how they tie into superstitions and beliefs in Ireland.

Another one of my favorite classes is Irish Language & Culture. In this particular class, I'm learning simple Irish phrases to use in everyday conversation and the different aspects of culture in Ireland, such as music and dance. It's exciting to be able to speak Irish to another person and I even learned how to do a simple Irish dance!

These are the Cliffs of Moher in near Galway

I've been outside of Dublin as well. I've been to Galway where my group and I saw the Cliffs of Moher. It was a very impressive sight! It was cold and rainy on that day and the wind was gusting so much that I could lean against it entirely without falling over. I've also been to Brú na Bóinne where I went to see the Newgrange burial mound. What's amazing about these mounds is that they were built 500 years before the pyramids. I'm planning to visit other nearby European cities, like London. I can't wait to go!

Mark B. - Oxford, England - Spring 2011

Hello all,

My name is Mark and I have now officially been in England for 3 weeks.  I have had 2 weeks of classes at St. Catherines (Catz) College at Oxford.  The university of Oxford is made up of 38 colleges, with St. Catz being the youngest college (founded in the 1960’s). 

Because it is the newest college, it doesn’t have the “Oxford” feel that you would expect from most Oxford colleges.  I have mixed feelings about this.  Although the campus doesn’t have beautiful architecture and medieval castle-like buildings, the school is geared towards undergraduates and has several advantages over other colleges.  One of them is that Catz houses the largest “Junior Common Room” of any Oxford college.  The Junior Common Room is their version of the Frick center, except, in my opinion, a whole lot better.  Mainly because students actually hang out there at night, but there are other reasons as well.  The JCR has a couple TV rooms (used almost exclusively for sports), a game room, and a bar.  The JCR closes around midnight and is the place where most Catz students hang out before going out for the night.  It is a great place to go for a drink, play some pool, and meet other students.  

For students in CPP 250 getting ready to go abroad, I strongly recommend getting involved around campus.  Aside from meeting students at the JCR, I joined the club rugby team here at Catz.  Even if you have never played a sport or participated in an activity, I advise to go for it.  Studying abroad is your time to meet new people, try new things, and learn about yourself.  I have never played rugby before, but after one game, I found that I am quite good at it.  Aside from the thrill of the game, I now have 20 or so new friends to go out with on weekends and show me how things are run around here.  

I am studying abroad through the IFSA Butler program, so from the start I was grouped with 20 or so Americans who are also studying abroad at Catz.  Before I went abroad, many people told me to avoid other Americans like the plague, but based on my experiences so far I wouldn’t recommend that.  It is nice to meet other Americans who have similar interests and goals.  It can be very helpful to have an American friend when you are a stranger in a different culture.  The real key to social life abroad is to avoid big groups of American students.  If you go everywhere in a large group, you will not have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the host culture.  At Catz, I have made a few close American friends that I spend my time with, but I avoid going out with the entire group when possible.  It is easier to meet people when traveling with 2 or 3 rather than 20.  

Finally, there is school.  For those of you going to Oxford, expect to spend a lot of time studying.  The best way to approach studying abroad is to treat it as a job.  If you can budget your time so that you get your work done during the day, you will have your nights free to go out with friends.  Unfortunately, this does not always workout so nicely.  I am studying math(s) here and have already spent several nights studying til 2 or 3.

When picking classes, I advise to balance out the difficulty levels.  Right now I am taking one tutorial(class) which is equivalent to grad school level.  The British system moves students through the math ranks significantly faster than American schools do, so this is common.  The class is hard, enough said.  What makes it possible for me to still have a social life, is that my second tutorial (class) is a lot easier.  I think this is probably the optimum balance of course work that one should sign up for.  If you take nothing but elementary courses, you probably will not grow very much, and you might as well have just taken a vacation to whatever country you are studying abroad at. On the other hand, you don’t want to spend all of your time studying, so try to balance out the difficulty level if possible.  Also, don’t let anyone discourage you from taking a class that you want to. 

Margaret Z. - Joensuu, Finland - Spring 2011

Moi!

“En puhu suomea”.  This is one of the Finnish phrases I memorized before leaving for Finland, and so far, it has become the most useful.  It means “I don’t speak Finnish”.  The other phrase that has been handy is “valitan”, which means “I’m sorry”.

I’m studying at the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu, Finland, in Northern Karelia near the Russian border.  After having been in Finland for close to two weeks, it keeps getting more and more interesting.  The Finnish language, people, and culture are different from other European cultures, and that is what makes this place so unique.  Finland has been part of two separate empires, the Swedish and the Russian empires, but has still maintained its own distinct identity.  From about 1150-1809, Finland was under Swedish rule, and then from 1809 to 1920 it was a part of the Russian Empire, and referred to as the Grand Duchy of Finland.  It wasn’t till 1920 that Finland was able to declare its independence, and since then it has fought to keep it.

I arrived in Helsinki after a long flight, part of which I came close to not making.  I had a layover in Copenhagen, and my flight almost did not land due to snow.  We did land; however, we were rather late.  I’m sure the Copenhagen airport is a lovely place, but I don’t remember what it looks like since my time there was spent running to my terminal! I made my flight, and within a few hours was in Helsinki.  The next morning, I got on an early train, and rode up to Joensuu, which is about 5 hours north of Helsinki. The ride took some time, but is one of my favorite memories of Finland.  In the winter, the sun doesn’t rise until about 8:30 to 9, and through my window I was able to watch the sun come up and see the Finnish countryside.

The landscape here is different.  It’s all taiga, and so has an ethereal, distant, and formidable touch to it.  Someone once described Finland as “a forest inhabited by people”, and that is absolutely correct.

Joensuu is a wonderful place.  It only has a population of about 70,000, which is part of the reason I chose it. Settling in did take some time.  Fortunately, the university provided student tutors who were more than willing to help me out.  Thankfully, everything worked itself out, and I am now functional!

One of the things that has been both fun and challenging is the language.  Finnish is not an Indo-European language, like English, Swedish, or German.  Instead, it’s Finno-Ugric, which means it’s related to Estonian, Hungarian, and some smaller languages found mainly in western Russia.  Aside from some loanwords and the Latin alphabet, Finnish has no similarity to English.  This makes grocery shopping an adventure. 

Fortunately, English is commonly understood here, usually as a third language.  Finland has two official languages, Finnish and Swedish, and many people choose to learn another language in addition to those two, usually English.

 Let me show you one of the things used to impress and frighten foreigners.  This is the longest Finnish word there is:

Lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas. 

That is an official title in the Finnish military.  It refers to someone who is a technical warrant officer trainee specializing in aircraft jet engines. 

One of the most rewarding things about traveling abroad is the people you meet.  Sure, when you go to college you might meet someone from a state or two over, but going to another country exposes you to so much more of the world’s population. So far I have met people from Germany, Hong Kong, Latvia, Hungary, the Faroe Islands, South Africa, Finland, and many more.  

As a final note, here are some things I have figured out that have been helpful for me:

1.      Read up on your country ahead of time.  As much as you can.  Make sure you include culture and traditions, although keep in mind that there’s only so much you can learn ahead of time.

2.      Learn at least part of the national anthem.  Trust me, this impresses people.

3.      Bring a towel with you.

4.      If you’re not great at your host country’s language, bring a phrasebook. A dictionary is a good idea too.

5.      Figure out who your host country’s enemies are.  This makes for good insults.

6.      The fewer clothes/bags you bring, the more impressed people will be with you.

7.      Europe doesn’t really have much in the way of peanut butter.

8.      International phone cards are nice for long layovers.

9.      If you or someone back home has a very slow internet connection, Google video chat usually works better than Skype.

10.  British slang is more commonly known and used in Europe.  Hope you like lifts and queues.

11.  Capital One does not do overseas transfers.

12.  Jet lag may or may not hit you.  Finland is 8 hours ahead of Chicago, and I adjusted easily.  Prepare for the worst, but understand that the worst may not happen.

13.  People will figure out you’re American just by your accent.  Accept it.

14.  Speaking of America, people will be somewhat surprised if you’re not morbidly obese.

15.  You will look and feel like a doofus, no matter how hard you try not to.  Especially during the first couple weeks. 

16.  It’ll be fine. 

Enjoy your trip!

Moi moi,

Margaret