Lund University
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By: Matthew Rosenthal, Royal Roads University, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Lund, Sweden

Life here in Lund, Sweden, has been great. The campus is beautiful and the student body atmosphere is something I have never experienced. If you google Lund University, the first image you will see is of the university library. I have spent a lot of time in the attic of the library doing research and writing papers. It is pretty cool to sit in an environment where some of the books around you are from the 18th and 19th century. I can confidently say that old books have a very distinct smell. I would describe it as old, beaten down wet leather baking in the sun. Although, after a co...

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

Study Abroad Destination: Mexico

One week away from the Mexico Field School and I am not even remotely prepared for this trip. Sigh! Today we have our pre-departure meeting before we leave for our trip. So the plan (between now and May 3) is as follows: Pre-departure meeting with our trip leader- Ada; check instruments in clinic; sterilize and pack instruments that we need; pack everything we will need for the dental clinic in 8 suitcases; finish the pre-departure complete the course related to the field school and finish all my clinical requirements for the program before departure. Between midterms all this week and five finals exams next week, I hav...

Category: Student Blog
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Rachel Abma, Langara College, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Italy and London​

I can’t believe that I am only one week away from embarking on a European excursion; this past month has been a whirlwind of both excitement and nervous anticipation, and with deadlines and departures rapidly approaching these feelings are only escalating. Although I feel comfortable travelling, this trip is going to be a new experience for me because this is my first visit to Europe as well as my first time taking part in a Field Study. The normal stress that I experience packing and preparing for a long trip is heightened by a fairly heavy load of readings and assignments that must be finished before the trip beg...

Category: Student Blog
“The Liam Tower of Pisa” - Liam Grigg
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Liam Grigg, University of Victoria, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Sophia Antipolis, France

Waking up and starting out at the white snowflakes is one of the last things I expected to see in Southern France. Living just two blocks up from the Mediterranean, I had become accustomed to ocean storms, but snow was not in my forecast. This was also the worst day this could happen, as my roommates and I were renting a car and going on a road trip to Western Italy today.

We all yawned, shouldered our bags and climbed into our elevator built for one, but somehow can hold enough weight for three. Stumbling into the cold wind, we miserably Tetris packed our bags into the trunk of the car, ready t...

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

Study Abroad Destination: Melbourne, Australia

Since this is my second exchange what I did not expect was to get strongly affected by culture shock. This fact might of made it worse and also because I went traveling beforehand, I believe I experienced culture shock before most of the other exchange students around me and therefore felt more alone. I love traveling too and didn’t think I would get as depressed as I did about being away from home.

What I think really affected me was that was Melbourne in a way felt like home. English was the main language, people seemed similar (although a bit grumpier and with an accen...

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By: Lucy Dabbs, Georges P. Vanier Secondary School, participant of the 2017 Beijing International Education Exchange (BIEE) Summer Camp.

Although many dreams are achievable, stopping time is not one of them. When I awoke this quiet morning, my heart wished that it could stay in China forever, that the summer wouldn't end and every night we could spend on the field drinking mate and dancing to Spanish music. My heart wished I didn't have to leave all these amazing people, that it didn't have to get out of bed and pack my bags.

The rest of me however, couldn't wait to get home to the West Coast, to my nice bed and regular sleep schedule, to the fresh air and cool temperatures of the ocean. My brain knew that realistically I couldn't stay in China, and this camp would...

Category: Student Blog
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By: Lucy Dabbs, Georges P. Vanier Secondary School, participant of the 2017 Beijing International Education Exchange (BIEE) Summer Camp.

The day was not over yet! Once dinner was finished it wasn't long before closing ceremonies started, and we would finally get to showcase our Canadian performance we had been working so hard on. We went back to our dorms and quickly got into our costumes, returning to the second floor to the auditorium. We sat in theatre seats, in our Bus groups to watch the show.

To start off there was a video about China, beginning with the history and the way culture has grown to the present, now with technological achievements and advanced architecture. It showed that China was modernized and ever advancing, but they still embraced their tradit...

Category: Student Blog
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By: Lucy Dabbs, Georges P. Vanier Secondary School, participant of the 2017 Beijing International Education Exchange (BIEE) Summer Camp.

Soon it was lunchtime, and the chaos calmed down to refuel itself. At least, it was all now concentrated into the cafeteria with metal trays of rice and assorted items. And, of course, the fluffy cakes.

Right after lunch Bus number 16 met up to say a goodbye to our bus mates, and our beloved tour guide Jack. Here we had more lots more hugging and even a bit of crying as Jack gave one last speech. I would miss hearing his voice on the microphone during my half asleep dazedness on the bus.

At about 2:00 the auditorium on the second floor opened up for the much awaited friendship carnival. I had been excited about this since th...

Category: Student Blog
Lucy Dabbs
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By: Lucy Dabbs, Georges P. Vanier Secondary School, participant of the 2017 Beijing International Education Exchange (BIEE) Summer Camp.

I never realized the importance in the art of selfie taking, never conceived that the skill of holding a phone away from ones face to take a picture would come in handy later in my life. When taking a group selfie, it takes a good deal of skill to keep your arm at the right distance, and the phone tilted at a realistic angle. There are many factors involved, to keep everyone’s faces in proportion, in good lighting, and everyone looking at the camera. Today, my selfie taking skills were put to the ultimate test.

After breakfast, everyone seemed to realize that all these people we had met, all the great friends we'd made were all goi...

Category: Student Blog
Julia Scott Lenz
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By Julia Scott Lenz, Simon Fraser University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship.

Around three and a half years ago, I packed my mom’s sedan with everything I thought I needed to start university. Every piece of clothing, every sentimental postcard, every favourite book, and then we drove for hours. Eventually, I lugged every single bin and bag up to the 4th floor of my new building and into my very own dorm room. It was my first time living on my own and it was so exciting to be in a new city with a few of my closest friends, starting at a new school, and taking my first steps into the so-called adult world.

Now, I’m packing yet again to move away from home into a dorm room at a university at the end of this week. This time around, I’m ca...

Category: Student Blog

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