Student Blog

By: Joe Porter, Douglas College, winner of the Fall 2023 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Japan

To say my arrival in Japan last September was a culture shock would be an understatement, but with that it has also been a breath of fresh air. Instead of the usual beer and fireworks, my New Years in Japan consisted of joining the crowds of nearly 100 million nationwide in Hatsumode, the New Years tradition of visiting a shrine to pray for good fortune in the coming year. I have been ushered through a multitude of towering temples, finely crafted gardens, and phenomenal food. Particularly uplifting for me was seeing members of the community out picking odd leaves off the street to keep it as clean as a whistle. T...

By: Amanda Phillips, Capilano University, winner of the Spring 2023 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Austria

Studying abroad is an experience that is hard to put into words. Studying and living in Vienna, Austria has given me a million reasons why everyone should study abroad, but there aren’t the words to convey it. Typing and deleting this blog for the last two weeks has brought me to this point where I can at least say that studying abroad makes me wish I had superpowers.

Writing this, lounging at Sigmund Freud Park marveling at the magnificent Votivkirche across the road feels surreal. I’ve been in Europe for 4 months now and I cannot stress the perpetual ‘awe’ I have walking past the beautiful ar...

By: Tatu Meagher, Simon Fraser University, winner of the Fall 2022 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Japan

Finally, my study abroad journey is starting to come to a close. I think a lot of people like to share their experience within the first couple months, or somewhere in the middle, as those tend to be the most exciting. However, I’ve realized that the last few months of exchange are even more meaningful. Compared to all the time I’ve spent here, it’s been the more recent experiences that have been the most rewarding, as well as the most difficult. They have been full of memorable moments of happiness and joy, along with plenty of intensely melancholic and emotional moment...

By: Kyle Lee, Simon Fraser University, winner of the Spring 2022 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Japan

Even though I’m more than halfway through my exchange semester in Tokyo, there are still moments when I can’t believe I’ve made it here. When I first found out I was able to go on exchange, after trying for two years throughout the pandemic, I was extremely grateful. I promised myself that I would take full advantage of this opportunity. However, despite all the planning I did prior to travelling to Japan, there were still many aspects of exchange that surprised me.

The first was the international community that I found among the rest of the exchange students. As I got to meet people and make new fr...