This blog post was written by sophomore Prakriti Luthra, a peer advisor studying economics and political science. See her full bio here.
This summer, I spent two amazing weeks studying abroad in Shanghai, China. I know that when most people think about studying abroad, two weeks isn’t the time period that comes to mind and that the program I participated in is quite unique. I went to Shanghai through the GW Short-Term Abroad program to take an international economics class. Not only did I get three credits out of the way, but I also got to experience one of the most diverse, beautiful cities in the world at the same time!
Shanghai boasts a bustling financial district, with futuristic buildings and one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, the World Financial Tower. It has one of the best metro systems I have ever seen and definitely beats taking the red line in DC! At the same time, our class saw intricate ancient gardens, dragon boat races, and the infamous Bund area. I also got to try a lot of new foods, like jellyfish (which was actually not too bad, surprisingly) and I also refused to try some foods, like duck tongue (a decision I do not regret at all).
While I could have easily taken the same class back in DC, what I learned in a classroom was enhanced ten fold by physically exploring the city and seeing what I learned in real life. For instance, we visited neighboring cities like Shoujo, which is not as developed as Shanghai. It was interesting to see the stark contrast between the two different areas and how differently people lived. Guest speakers like the prior CEO of Coach China came to tell our class about their experiences with owning a business in the country and their lifestyles. I learned so much just from short interactions with the locals living in the city that a textbook could never teach me on it’s own.
GW short term abroad is a great option for those of you who don’t have time to devote a whole semester (like many overwhelmed honors students!!) but still want to explore a new country while simultaneously taking a class. Those two weeks, while short, were the highlight of my summer and I will remember them long after I graduate from GW. I 100% recommend GW Short Term Abroad and I hope I can participate in one again in the future!
Tag: study ablog
From Berlin With Love – Study Ablog
Today’s study ablog post is written by Roxanne Goldberg, a junior in the UHP studying abroad in Germany!
As I dangle my feet in the Spree River on a sunny Berlin day, I feel definitively at home. Since coming to Berlin with NYU, I have been supported, challenged, and encouraged in ways I never thought imaginable.
In addition to my classes, in which I meet with some of the most respected art professionals in Europe today to discuss art theory and the current state of the art world (and learn German of course), I have been interning with Thomas Eller Studios on the historical exhibition Die 8 der Wege, which brings contemporary Beijing art to Berlin. Next week the exhibition opens and I am responsible for accompanying artist and curator Colin Chinnery on appointments with nearly a dozen of the most influential curators and art institution directors in Berlin.
Not only have I had the great fortune of interning while abroad, but I have also been provided the opportunity to curate the student exhibition, which takes place at SAVVY Contemporary, a nontraditional art space that has been featured on Blouin Art Info and Artnet. The collaborative environment fostered by the NYU students and staff, along with constantly stimulating dialogue with the faculty and student artists has been infinitely inspiring and has bolstered my confidence to pursue my professional goals.
These experiences are entirely unique to NYU-Berlin, and have been without doubt the most positive parts of my university experience. The constant, yet critical and thoughtful encouragement from each individual I have encountered while participating in NYU-Berlin has motivated me to graduate a semester early with the intention of moving back to Berlin in the winter.
I could not be more thankful for this experience, and therefore urge students thinking of studying abroad to heavily research study abroad programs and not settle for GW-approved programs when they do not fit one’s desires and goals. In my experience, the struggle was worth the reward of an experience, which has profoundly impacted my courage to pursue my professional dreams and goals.
From Brazil With Love [Study Ablog]
Today’s post is written by Haley Burns, a junior in the UHP currently studying abroad in Salvador, Brazil!
I’ve always understood traveling the world as this awe-inspiring, magical experience. Before I embarked on my journey to Brazil, I imagined colors swirling around an explosion of senses as I floated down the streets of the endless markets that I was sure I would encounter with a smile on my face. It’s my time to finally experience the romanticized journey of leaving everything familiar behind but a suitcase and a backpack full of sunscreen.
With no language requirement, I embraced the idea of the unknown as something that could not let me down. I hopped on the plane, not even knowing the population of Salvador (which happens to be 4 million people – about 4 million more than I imagined). When I first arrived I was immediately hit with a wall of humidity. Despite the warm and inviting sun, moving through this humid atmosphere has its challenges.
So many things that have come to define me have vanished. My activities, possessions, foods, friends, family, communities and language do not exist here. I finally understand the allure of traveling. It isn’t that it comes with a constant state of bliss, it’s that you must stand naked, loving and defining yourself from within.
Conversation, the basis of connection with others, which is what I think is the most important thing in life, poses a huge challenge every day. As the sun hits my face at 6:00 every morning, I immediately have to think about how I can communicate, even without words. “Bom dia!” is about as far as my Portuguese went the first few days, which made getting around through meal time and the bus system a struggle and somewhat hilarious ordeal, full of minor misunderstandings.
My dad has always told me “actions speak louder than words.” Well, Dad, your theory has proved true. I really began to understand how profoundly true this is after my first yoga class in Brazil. I happened to be the only one to show up for class, and communication with words wasn’t an option for us. Through a mix of movements, nonsense words, touches, and nods, we managed to have a synchronized and satisfying practice. This gave me confidence, that even though I know few words, with body language I can still communicate with and get to know people. It just takes some creativity, determination, and light-heartedness.
Getting to know Bahia has been a roller coaster of excitement and exhaustion every day. I’m loving the tropical fruits and cuscuz de coco (this amazing tapioca and coconut dessert), the fact that monkeys live in the trees instead of squirrels, and my host family. And I’m learning to love the ridiculously fast-paced, yet structureless culture of the city. But most importantly, I’m realizing how to love the raw part of me that is constant whether I’m at home, in Salvador or on the moon. That’s the magic and color of travel; it teaches you how to ignore the dripping sweat of challenges and, instead, let the sun shine on your beautiful inner dance.
From Just About Everywhere With Love [Study Ablog]
Today’s study ablog post is by Julia Wagner, a junior in the UHP studying abroad on the SIT International Honors Program: Cities of the 21st Century studying urban planning, politics, and culture in Costa Rica, Argentina, India, Senegal, and more!
I remember when I first stepped off the plane in Costa Rica last summer: jet-lagged, starving, and fairly certain that I had made the biggest mistake of my life. In that moment, I began one of the most unpredictably beautiful and terrifyingly exciting experiences on the year-long study abroad adventure of a lifetime to 7 countries on 3 continents (yes, I will still graduate on time–dream big UHPers!)
Halfway through the second half of Semester #3, and I’m starting to feel reflective and mushy gushy. After all, these past several months have treated me so well. Not to say that study abroad is all rainbows, rickshaws, and red wine, because it’s not. I’ve been through some incredibly awkward and outstandingly humbling experiences this year. I’ve eaten some foods that I never though would pass by my lips…llama anyone? I’ve sat through entire classes at the local University in Argentina where I hadn’t the faintest idea what was going on. I’ve made some horrible cultural faux pas…like the time I accidentally crashed an Indian wedding while walking down the street. I’ve managed to butcher the words of countless languages as I stumbled around the world with only a knowledge of English and Spanish. Needless to say, I’ve become quite acquainted with the good old ‘discomfort zone’.
Exiting your comfort zone is to be expected and invited when moving away from home. What I didn’t expect was that I’d find a new piece of home in every country I would visit this year.
During my first week in Costa Rica, I celebrated my 20th birthday without really knowing any of my new classmates. I felt a little blue until my host mother presented me with a kind gift and thoughtful card, though she barely even knew me.
When Thanksgiving rolled around while I was in Argentina with GW Latin America, I barely noticed the strange passing of my favorite holiday because my Brazilian friend went all out to surprise me a vegetarian Thanksgiving feast.
My Indian homestay father would spend hours discussing politics and religion with my roommates and I so that we could better understand the complexities within that country. To this day he still posts eccentric photos and comments on our Facebook walls to check in.
I am currently studying in Dakar, Senegal, where the people value each other’s time more than anything else. They live in a ‘people-centric’ culture, in which acknowledging another’s humanity is the most important thing you can do. I do not share a common language with any of my homestay members; yet as we gather around the large dinner tray to eat with the extended family of about 12 people, each of them is super attentive to my eating habits, and will literally foist food my direction when they see me struggling with their utensils.
This past year has given me many things including humor and humility. Most importantly though, it’s given me family all over the world. So study abroad, dear friends! It’s a great time, and it will make you a complete sap for the little things.
Here is a photo of me and my roomate Allie from University of Wisconsin sitting with our homestay mother (‘Auntie’) in India. She didn’t speak English and we didn’t speak Gujarati or Hindi, so we just communicated with smiles and a lot of miming. She makes the best chai tea of all time, and we all cried when we had to leave.From Budapest With Love [Study Ablog]
Today’s Study Ablog is written by Kate Kozak, a junior currently studying abroad in Hungary!
I love doing things differently, stepping just a tiny bit outside my comfort zone, and being just a tiny bit unconventional. And I found no better way to do that than to spend this semester in Central European University’s Gender Studies Master’s program here in Budapest, Hungary.
CEU was founded after the fall of communism to encourage the free exchange of ideas. My particular department, Gender Studies, is all about deconstructing our ideas about society and norms, but does so with a very critical eye towards Western (and particularly American) ways of thinking.
Some differences on the “other side of the Iron Curtain” are significant: I spent a day in Memento Park, an open-air museum which houses the remaining statues and monuments from the Communist era. I was there on October 23rd, the anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution, in which Hungarians made the first significant threat against the Soviet government; our program coordinator wanted us to spend our day off outside the city, where violent nationalist demonstrations were planned. But some differences are very subtle, to be caught in an offhand remark about “before the transition,” or, as a Hungarian classmate explained, manifested in the sometimes self-deprecating attitudes of the Hungarian people.
Being far, far away from the US has allowed me to jump, leap, and fly outside my comfort zone in ways I hadn’t expected. I’ve made more friends here than in any other period of my life (I am outgoing, but bad at the whole “friend” thing). I’ve engaged more with challenging texts than ever before (and I took Prof. Winstead’s class on Nietzsche last semester, so that’s really saying something!). I’ve attempted to communicate in one of the most complicated languages in the world: Hungarian is such that just learning a few phrases really doesn’t do you much good (but I can order a coffee in Hungarian now!). I spent a weekend with my grandfather’s cousin, someone I’d never met but who was family and treated me as such. And, most importantly, for the first time since graduating high school, I have not angst-ed over being home. I’m homesick, absolutely. I can’t wait to be home, to see my family, to eat mac and cheese. But I’ve achieved an unanticipated level of autonomy in my two months here.
My comfort zone, Grinch-style, has grown three sizes. At least. And I’ve still got a month to go.
From Madrid With Love [Study Ablog]
Today’s Study Ablog post is written by junior and UHPer Kimya Forouzan, and ESIA student studying abroad in Madrid!
Hello my lovely Honors Program members! Where am I writing to you from? Madrid, of course. The actual city that never sleeps. It’s 2:00 AM, and I’m just finishing up my homework for midterms week, astonished that I am still functioning despite never sleeping. Getting used to the schedule in Madrid was the hardest part of adjusting to the new city. I eat dinner with my host family most nights around 10:00 PM, and often don’t meet friends on weekends until 12:00 or 2:00 AM.
My time in Madrid has flown by so far, although that’s not to say it didn’t begin with some bumps in the road—because it did. I still remember the first day I met my host mom. She forgot to give me a key, which convinced me that she already hated me and just didn’t want me to come back home ever.
Once the first three days of orientation passed, I was tasked with having to navigate through the city using Spanish. At first, it was so hard to just say words. I was so afraid of being completely wrong and embarrassing myself that I hid behind a few phrases that I repeated. I was late to almost every single class I had because of my long commute, and I almost fell off a donkey.
But eventually, I learned that my host mom actually loves me, started getting comfortable with the language, got the hang of the city, and vowed to never be within a 100-mile radius of a donkey ever again. Despite all of these bumps that I had in the beginning, I have come to realize that studying abroad is the most valuable thing I’ve done while at GW, and I already cannot wait until my next travel experience.
From Paris With Love [Study Ablog]
It’s time for a check-in from a SPA student studying abroad. Get ready for advice and adventures from SPA! Today’s inaugural post is written by junior Brian Dab, who is studying in Paris at SciencesPo.
Bonjour crazy UHPers! Studying abroad is not as glamorous as it always sounds. There, I said it! I’m going to be completely honest: If you don’t believe me, just read my blog. Not every second is spent sipping rosé along the Seine with a baguette and chèvre cheese – or whatever the version of this ideal is in other study abroad destinations. Classes do exist, chores still have to get done, and your life back in the US doesn’t disappear. Your abroad experience is filled with adjustment, discovery, and adventure. For some students, it might take a month or so to fully adjust and feel comfortable in your host city. Others might realize their classes are easy and don’t require much effort, leaving time to gallivant around the city. Every study abroad experience is different and each is life-changing for various reasons.
However, they all have one thing in common: they are about you. You make the experience what it is. You choose where to live, what classes to take, how often to travel, when to go out, who to meet, and decide why you’re there. Live the semester for yourself and do what you want. When I decided to go abroad I was at a place in my college experience where I thought returning in the fall would just be more of the same. I was ready for a new challenge, and this is certainly shaping up to be such a challenge. I took some time to really think about what I wanted to get out of this experience. I am excited to learn more about myself and being in the real world, as I navigate a completely foreign environment.
As a Political Science major, I knew studying at SciencesPo in Paris would be a great choice as a hub for social sciences in Europe. Although I know almost zero French and I’ve never really spent time in Europe, this was another challenge that I knew would force my personal growth and teach me more than walking the streets of Foggy Bottom for another semester. Paris is a city where meaning, purpose, and history abound. From monuments to cultural norms, most things in Paris can be explained by its vast history.
I encourage all of you to seriously consider the prospect of studying abroad. Where are you in your college experience? What can you still learn about life and yourself? Would another semester at GW be more of the same? Will living in another city help expand your horizons? There is much to consider, but there is no wrong decision. Follow your instincts. Trust your heart. And remember to make the most of the opportunities you have in our short four years at GW. As I do on my blog I will end with one of my favorite quotes:
“The world is a book and those who don’t travel read only a page” -St. Augustine
