Student Blog

By: Julie Han, Simon Fraser University, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

In secondary school, I got the opportunity to attend a program at the University of Calgary for four weeks. The first weekend, I got 56 mosquito bites in 24 hours. The next morning, my legs swelled up like balloon animals by a drunk birthday clown. Two weeks later, from maybe 100 meters above, a seagull dropped a gnarly bomb right on my phone screen – bullseye. One week later, I ripped my big toenail off with a door frame. And those four weeks were eerily reminiscent of my first four weeks here at the University of Amsterdam. My dumb luck.

As soon as I landed, I was struck with the thick m...

By Cheyenne Rode, Vancouver Island University, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Melbourne, Australia

The amazing thing about studying abroad is that your days can be vastly different. For example, one day you’re just like a regular student. You wake up at 8 am, go to class, get a much-needed coffee, study, hang out with your friends, then go to bed.

Although, of course, there are slight differences between this day and the same one back home. The classes you go to are filled with people from another culture. These people have different accents, views on life, and socials norms. Also, the coffee you drink is tremendously better than the ones back home as you’re living in...

By: Trisha Bhamra, Camosun College, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Mexico

My next favourite place was Circo de la Ninos. This place was actually started by one of the producers of Cirque du Soleil. If you know me at all….you know how much I love Cirque du Soleil. This place is special because it empowers young children and youth to take part in something outside of school and it inspires them to work towards to things that may seem impossible at first. Glades, who works closely with Circo de la Ninos, tells us that the main goal of this place is to make all kids feel they are all on the same playing field. Whether their parents are rich or poor, white or Mexican. The Circus makes this program...

By: Michelle Davies, Thompson Rivers University, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Germany​

Before leaving from Canada for Belgium in 2013, as an exchange student, I was offered the sage advice that nothing is “better or worse, just different.” I was encouraged to approach every situation with an open mind. Though I strived to do just that, I found myself comparing my host and home country. From the transportation to the food, Canada, in my mind had it all backwards. Upon returning to Canada after 11 months, I experienced reverse culture shock questioning and comparing everything between the two countries.

When I travelled to Switzerland for my second study abroad experience in 2015, I fe...