How did studying abroad affect your academic and/or professional career?

I was able to learn about different healthcare systems between socialist countries such as Denmark and Finland and compare them to the United State's healthcare system. I learned about this Comparative Approach: Healthcare Systems; it was a great core course for DIS while also completing a requirement for my major.

How did you explore your hobbies, interests, and passions abroad?

I was quite the foodie and allocated most of my budget towards seeking out the best food scenes in Copenhagen. I also traveled a lot on the weekends, including festivals such as Oktoberfest, which allowed me to experience other cultures besides those I experienced on a day-to-day basis in Copenhagen.

Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?

I would HIGHLY recommend DIS because they strive for all their students to have the most immersive abroad experience. DIS paid for my class to study in western Denmark, took our class to Helsinki and Tallinn to study healthcare systems, and provided high-quality student services and events to everyone in the program. I also had the opportunity to live with locals, who are still my friends to this day. On top of this, Copenhagen is one of the safest cities to study abroad, allowing myself to do things I wanted to do by myself without fear of danger.

What should students consider when applying and preparing for their time abroad?

Consider the aspects you want to get the most out of your abroad experience. That could be fashion, food, travel, or various other experiences. For me, I wanted to seek out the amazing food culture in Copenhagen. I got to experience multiple kinds of cuisine, including going to NOMA. Once you consider your higher priorities to experience, allocate a bigger budget around it. While a semester sounds long, my abroad experience happened in the blink of an eye. I look back at all the resources I used and the money I spent and don't regret a thing because I wanted to explore the culture around food in Copenhagen.

Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?

I don't believe that my identity impacted my abroad experience, but I do have to give the warning that to others, it might. Two of my roommates were women of color who, unfortunately, had to experience racism in Denmark. Denmark is a very white country, and while it seems to be progressive, there is deeply rooted racism that is unavoidable through immersing yourself in the culture. If someone who is a person of color is considering studying abroad in Denmark, I would want to enlighten them with the experiences my roommates had to give perspective and inform them before their decision.

Share a story about a time you experienced cultural immersion.

My roommate, Chanda, is a woman of color living in Denmark. She was adopted by a white Danish couple when she was 1 and left India to spend the rest of her life living in Denmark. I had the honor of interviewing her for my final project for my Urban Photography course, which featured photos of her in our apartment coupled with captions of her own thoughts and reflections on growing up in Denmark. She has a lot to say, and I felt as though I was able to connect with a local who shed a different light on the country that they still continue to show pride in. I miss her a lot, she was my dear friend, and I shared a lot of my abroad experience with her.

How did studying abroad affect your academic and/or professional career?

My time studying abroad affected my career goals by showing me that I can continue my academic career outside of the United States. Beyond my academic career it has shown me that there is so much that can only be learned by embracing living in another country.

How did you explore your hobbies, interests, and passions abroad?

I was able to explore my interests of exploring and languages by having the freedom and flexability to travel over the weekend.

Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?

I would recommend coming to Madrid because it is a city for every kind of person. The city has endless activities ranging from free museums to nearby hikes. It is the heart of Spain therefore you have a constant exposure to the culture and neighboring cities.

What should students consider when applying and preparing for their time abroad?

When applying and preparing for their time abroad students should consider practicing cultural appreciation. It helps to come in with a clear mind because it helps with the culture shock.

Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?

My identity as a Hispanic American impacted my study abroad by allowing me to form easier connections with the Spanish students. It was also a common topic of interest for Europeans because they are also just as eager to get to know Americans as we are them.

Share a story about a time you experienced cultural immersion.

A time were I experienced cultural immersion was after a tapas dinner at a small local stop near my apartment. My friend and I were walking home and we noticed there was a group of Spaniards our age singing and dancing inside another restaurant, so we went inside. Upon entering we were immidietely embraced and shown how to dance and play the native instruments with them. After the fun we talked to them and they offered us more local drinks and gave us their contact to further show us around.

How did studying abroad affect your academic and/or professional career?

Before studying abroad I never would have considered extending my professional career beyond the boarders of the United States. After being in the Netherlands and traveling throughout Europe I have reconsidered that and could see myself living and working either in Amsterdam, my city of study, and in London, somewhere I visited.

How did you explore your hobbies, interests, and passions abroad?

It was really important to me to explore my home city as much as possible. I also knew that it was going to be important to me to put down roots in this entirely new country. I became the student representative in my residence hall which was an amazing opportunity because it allowed me to get closer with my peers but also increased my support network of adults and local professionals who were connected to my program. I also made a bucket list of things I had seen on social media that I wanted to do, anything from restaurants to museums to jewelry-making classes. That way, whenever my friends and I wanted to do something, there was immediately something for us to do.

Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?

Yes I would highly recommend by program and location. My program provided housing, weekly excursions, immigration help and so many other resources that made the transition smooth. Amsterdam as a city is the most amazing place I have ever been, I acknowledge my own bias of course but even friends that visited me said they love it. It is a tremendously livable city with unbelievable charm.

What should students consider when applying and preparing for their time abroad?

When considering and preparing for abroad, I recommend doing self-reflection and thinking about what you want to get out of the experience. Abroad is challenging, and taking on other people's expectations only makes it more challenging. I would also suggest exploring all of your options before choosing one and again ensure that you are choosing the right place for you.

Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?

My identity had a few impacts on my experience of studying abroad. Almost everyone in the Netherlands speaks English, and because of this, it was easy for me to navigate the city. Additionally, Amsterdam is a place of many ex-pats and itself is a bit of a cultural melting pot, which makes being a foreigner less overwhelming.

Share a story about a time you experienced cultural immersion.

One of the most culturally immersive experience I had in Amsterdam was when I did a cross country drive with a local, Gert. My cousin had studied abroad in Amsterdam the semester before and had used him to travel around to the smaller cities in the Netherlands. Being with Gert, I was able to ask him as many questions as I wanted to and I was able to explore the less traveled and touristy locations in the Netherlands. I highly recommend spending time in places that are more quaint than your primary area of study.

How did studying abroad affect your academic and/or professional career?

Through studying abroad, I took a variety of courses that allowed me to learn about Italian history and contemporary culture. From Beginning Italian to Food and Wine in Italy, I learned about the language and traditions of Italians to better understand their practices. Immigration, Race, and Identity connected to my study of International Relations at Tulane and furthered my knowledge of this field.

How did you explore your hobbies, interests, and passions abroad?

Studying abroad allowed me to live out my dream of traveling Europe with my friends. I explored new interests and activities such as night sledding down the Swiss Alps and horseback riding in Spain.

Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?

I would recommend Florence because it has a rich culture with welcoming locals. The food is amazing and the small size of the city creates a sense of comfort and familiarity. The CEA program provides great housing just 5 minutes from the school. The dedicated professors and small class sizes allow an easy transition between Tulane and study abroad.

What should students consider when applying and preparing for their time abroad?

Students should consider the city size and area of study when applying for their time abroad. This impacts the daily commute to school and credits transferred. When preparing for abroad students should pack light to save room for souvenirs and shopping!

Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?

My identity did not impact my study abroad experience as locals were inviting and mostly English-speaking. Italians were excited to learn from American students and I was treated with respect throughout my experience.

How did studying abroad affect your academic and/or professional career?

Studying abroad has allowed me to improve my language and communication skills, gain new friends and family in another country, and understand my field of study in a different cultural context. It reinforced my desire to study medicine in the US while showing me the diversity of ways that medicine and health are interpreted, experienced, promoted, and treated outside of it. Despite how much I learned in the classroom, living in an entirely new place was definitely the biggest learning experience, and the soft skills of cultural competence, empathy, flexibility, and openness will serve me greatly in my academic, professional, and personal future.

How did you explore your hobbies, interests, and passions abroad?

While abroad, I took Zumba classes at the university gym, baked with my host family, and enrolled in a month-long aerial silks class. I was also able to spend lots of time at the beach, swimming, reading, and having picnics with friends!

Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?

I would recommend SIT Arica Chile because of the immersive nature of the program, including 3-4 host family stays, lots of class field trips, and program-organized travels across the country to learn about different indigenous communities.

What should students consider when applying and preparing for their time abroad?

If possible, talk to people who have done your program before so you can have realistic expectations and make sure that your program is the best one to fulfill your specific goals for studying abroad.

Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?

Besides some staring due to the fact that our program location is not super touristy and I stood out physically, my identity did not greatly affect my study abroad experience.

Share a story about a time you experienced cultural immersion.

I did an internship in a Chilean medical school, where I was completely immersed in the classes, simulations, and supervised patient care.

How did studying abroad affect your academic and/or professional career?

Studying abroad changed my perspective on the point of academia. It is less about the knowledge you gain in the classroom and more about the experiences you have and the relationships you gain.

How did you explore your hobbies, interests, and passions abroad?

I was able to explore my hobbies through additional travel and on campus/community involvements.

Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?

Studying abroad in a culturally diverse areas allows you to learn more about yourself and the world as a whole. Studying abroad in Southern Africa allowed me to see a new perspective on the world and build essential interpersonal and problem solving skills for my future. Additionally it is an area of the world that I would never normally have the opportunity to visit.

What should students consider when applying and preparing for their time abroad?

A student should understand the type of experience they want studying abroad, and how the program they pick will achieve that. This idea is really important when picking being a cohort or a host institution and the activities within the host country.

Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?

My identity as a woman really impacted my time abroad, as Botswana and neighboring countries are all very patriarchal. It allowed me to understand how privileged we are at home to be seen as equals in educational or professional settings.

Share a story about a time you experienced cultural immersion.

I was able to experience the daily life of a rural Botswana family which allowed me to not only understand the daily activities of farming, cooking, and other activities. But also I got to understand and experience in depth the gender roles within Botswana Culture. This meant I helped assist in the roles of preparing agriculture, watching and educating the children, and tending to the family needs placed upon them by society. It was the first time, where I wasn’t just hearing about a different culture but experiencing and participating in it.