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

After my study abroad experience, I chose to add a Spanish major (instead of just finishing with my minor).

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

I took only classes in Spanish, which was a big goal of mine, and I really loved that experience. I also was able to travel extensively as well as visit so many museums and try new foods.

Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?

I loved how close I was with all the people in my program. Since we spent so much time together and it was such a small group we all got to know each other really well and I didn't know anyone going into my program. I also loved the academic experience. All my classes were super interesting, and I learned a lot from a Spanish prospective. I also think my comprehension and reading and writing skills improved greatly.

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

I think students really need to consider what kind of experience they want to have. For me I wanted to prioritize language immersion and meeting new people and that's exactly what I got from this program, but it was also really nerve wracking at the beginning and a significant adjustment, so if that is not the type of experience people are looking for i think they should choose another program. I just think really thinking about your personal goals and objectives for your abroad experience is really important.

Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?

No, I do not feel as if my any of my identities impacted my abroad experience.

Share a story about a time you experienced cultural immersion.

While abroad, my program offered a cooking class where everyone in my program was able to learn how to cook paella and tortilla. Both of these are super traditional Spanish dishes and the cooking class was in Spanish. I loved this experience because I got to learn how to make new food, I got to learn new vocab and it was a great time with friends as well as our program directors.

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

Studying abroad helped me gain completely different perspectives on situations. I started to truly understand where Europeans come from and why they think in specific ways. I also learned how to be more effective with my time management. The European style of schooling is that you are physically in class for significantly less time, which means there is more work outside of the classroom. The best part of all my schooling abroad was my history and art history because I was learning about how the city came to be and all the impactful people that came out of Amsterdam while physically being in the city. I got a completely different perspective on the city and became so knowledgeable that when I had visitors they were very impressed with me. It made me realize that learning in those types of environments really works for me.

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

Being abroad showed me how much I love trying new restaurants or cafes. While I was there, I made it a rule for myself that I would only go to the same place twice unless it was a cafe where I could use a laptop because those were honestly pretty rare. When I would decide that I wanted to go to a new place, I would pull out my Google Maps and then choose one that looked the best and make my way over there. The place had to check specific boxes for it to be a place that I would recommend, it had to have a cute interior, be filled with Dutch people, and be able to make a killer cappuccino. Finding cute places was such a fun activity, but what would make the experience sweeter was when my friends and family would come and visit me and they would also enjoy the places.

Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?

The program gave me the best of both worlds. It gave me a chance to interact with international students from all over the world because I had to take a few courses within the university, and it also gave me a chance to bond with students from around America who were in the same boat of studying abroad as me by taking courses through the program. This balance was incredible because I was able to have a big spectrum of friends. some that were European and knew Amsterdam pretty well and then others that were also just trying to explore the city. The program also did a great job of teaching us about the norms of the Dutch and helped me be more confident to really engage with the culture. Of course, I recommend the city for someone to study abroad in. It was an incredible place to come home to after my many trips because it had every aspect that a city would need. An incredible public transportation system, delicious restaurants and so many museums. I could not imagine studying abroad in any other city than Amsterdam because you can tell that the Dutch people who lived there love it and want to show their love for the city every single day that they are there.

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

They should mainly think about the purpose of studying abroad. Why do you feel this need to go and live in another city for a semester, and what do you think will happen when you get back? Students should figure out what they want to get out of study abroad, which makes the steps of deciding what city and what program you want to do a lot easier. For instance, if they want to study abroad because they want to explore a new city and get to know other cities as well, then I would recommend going somewhere in Europe because not only will they be able to get to a city really well, but also be able to see many others ones. I would also say that they should decide to study abroad at a location because they personally want to go there, not because their friends are going.

Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?

I am Jewish, so there were a lot of times when I was more timid to say that to people. It caused me to be warier and make sure that I was reading the room to ensure that it was a safe environment for me to share this information about myself. Luckily, though, it did not hold me back in any way, and I still could be my true self. I just kept some personal details about myself to myself.

Share a story about a time you experienced cultural immersion.

My goal for my time abroad was to be mistaken as European. My least favorite thing to happen was when someone could tell within seconds that I was American. There was one instance where my British friends and I decided to have a borel after we were done with our group project. A Borel was something that the Dutch did after they were done with a group project. They went to a bar and got a beer with their group to celebrate them being done with their project. My friends and I decided to do it, so we went to a bar about a 10-minute walk from the school. When we walked into the bar, it was full of Dutch students and international students who were all boreling. The cherry on top of the whole experience was when the waiter came over to us and started to speak to us in Dutch, and then when we proceeded to ask him to speak in English, he said, "Wow, I would have never guessed that you were America." That was the greatest compliment that I had ever received during my time in Amsterdam, and that was when I really felt like this place was my home.

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

Going to Australia allowed me to take classes that Tulane does not offer, such as Aboriginal History and Controversies in Australian History, furthering my enrichment in courses outside of my major. I was also able to take psychology classes that taught me how to use programs like ANOVA, which is extremely relevant in the field of psychology.

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

During my time abroad I had plenty of opportunities to travel and experience nature. In the area surrounding Melbourne there are so many different landscapes to explore, and being able to go on all of these road trips has fostered my love for the outdoors. I was able to climb to the top of volcanoes in New Zealand and watch the sunrise from above the clouds in Indonesia. I am extremely interested in history, so being in Australia allowed me to learn more about the Indigenous Australians and their rich history. My travels through southeast Asia gave me the opportunity to learn so much about a region of the world that has been largely overlooked in any history class I've taken.

Why would you recommend your respective abroad program or location?

I would highly recommend the University of Melbourne because they have plenty of resources for exchange students, which means plenty of opportunities to meet other study abroad students and become immersed in Australian culture. You live right in the middle of the city, granting you access to museums, libraries, public parks, and a range of activities that are right outside your front door. Not only do you get the experience of a city dweller, you have nature reserves and public parks surrounding the city, exposing you to a whole different side of Australia. Furthermore, Australia has a unique location that enables you to travel to a region of the world you would typically not go to on your own.

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

When applying for your time abroad, I think it is important to consider what you hope to gain out of your experience. If you crave finding independence and want to become comfortable with change, you might want to choose destinations that force you out of your comfort zone. If studying abroad means furthering your professional career, you might want to select universities that have respectable programs for your major. When preparing for your time abroad, it is extremely important to engage in research on the culture for which you wish to immerse yourself in. For those who feel nervous about going abroad, I found it very helpful to write letters to my future self to provide some emotional support.

Did your identity impact your study abroad experience?

Being an American and only being fluent in English definitely impacted my time abroad. Most of the international students I was friends with knew two or even three languages, which has inspired me to work towards becoming fluent in another language. It was also fascinating to understand how people of other nationalities viewed Americans.

Share a story about a time you experienced cultural immersion.

In the state of Victoria, footy is one of the most popular sports. In fact, it is so popular that most people have a day off from school or work for the final match. It is a mixture of football, soccer, and rugby, and is played on a cricket field. I was able to get nearly front row seats to one of the games and learn about all of the rules from the friendly security guards. Although fans going crazy for a sport sounds very American, it felt completely different to experience it with Australians for a sport that I had never even heard of before.

 

 

 

My name is Catie Mae and I spent both semesters of my junior year studying abroad. I spent the summer and fall in São Paulo, Brazil, and spent the spring in Madrid, Spain. I decided to become a peer advisor because studying abroad really changed my perspective of the world we live in, and even my goals in life, and I want other students to be able to have the same life-changing experiences.

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Zoe Friese (she/her) is a senior at Tulane with majors in Political Economy and Environmental Studies and a minor in Chinese. Before beginning college, she spent six months in Chengdu, China on a gap year through the U.S. Department of State's NSLI-Y Program--and subsequently fell in love with language and cultural exchange. Zoe has since participated in the 2022 Critical Language Scholarship Program at Taiwan's Chenggong University and studied in Cambodia through the School for Field Studies. On campus, you can find her co-leading the Tulane Undergraduate Assembly or giving tours as a Green Wave Ambassador. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and finding the best boba spots in town.