Janna Wale
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By Janna Wale, Thompson Rivers University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and a member of the BC Study Abroad Writer in Residence Team.

When I used to think about all the places I would see while I was abroad, my mind automatically jumped to the famous and historic places. I thought about Paris, Rome and London, envisioning coffee at the Eiffel tower or lunch near Big Ben. What I quickly discovered surprised me and completely made my change my thinking about travelling.

While there is something to be said about these famous and historic places, I found a lot of the popular tourist attractions to be overpriced and overcrowded. Don’t get me wrong I am happy I went and experienced all of these amazing places, but when I reminisce about my time livin...

Category: Writers In Residence
Peter Mate
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By: Peter Mate, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Vancouver Campus, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and a member of the BC Study Abroad Writer in Residence Team.

Awareness of surroundings is critical in maximizing satisfaction when studying abroad. This maximizing effect derives from the detection of appropriate actions relative to ones environment. Hence, determining the correct action, relative to ones environment determines the level of satisfaction when travelling. This awareness evidenced itself while I lived in Raday Utca (street) in Budapest’s IX district. This region of the city borders the cities District V (Downtown), District VII (area frequented by tourists), and District VIII (a notoriously seedy portion of the city). Hence, District IX absorb...

Category: Writers In Residence
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By Janna Wale, Thompson Rivers University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and a member of the BC Study Abroad Writer in Residence Team.

As some of you may know, not many things actually go as smoothly as they were planned. As you start to become an expert traveller, you learn to expect some bumps along the road. Things become more relaxed because, hey, it all works out in the end right?

Rewind a little bit, and we are flying over to Amsterdam (and to Europe!) for the first time in either of our lives. We hop off the plane at 10:30 pm local time and are ready to find our Air Bnb. As rookie travellers (this being the first country of many) we failed to board the right bus in our excitement. The bus is taking us in the exact opposite direction of wh...

Category: Writers In Residence
Peter Mate
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By: Peter Mate, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Vancouver Campus, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and a member of the BC Study Abroad Writer in Residence Team.

I advise my fellow travelers to take time to reflect in order to review their growth during their time away from home. Reviewing their growth will enable new ideas to take shape by providing time to reflect on their life’s journey. When I was living in New York and Budapest, I lived off the energy of my surroundings: Protests, exploring and achievement became a regular occurrence. However, my time abroad elicited contempt: I finished my studies confused about my career and overall intentions. 

When reviewing my time abroad, I realized that I pursued many endeavours simply for their achievem...

Category: Writers In Residence
Janna Wale
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By Janna Wale, Thompson Rivers University, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and a member of the BC Study Abroad Writer in Residence Team.

Okay, so I don’t know how many of you guys packed your own lunches growing up, but my mother made sure I was self-sufficient. We would go to the grocery store every week and my older sister and I were allowed to each pick a few items to include in our lunches for the school week to come.

As we got older, we pumped the brakes on some of the things we knew were a definite ‘no’ (chocolate, candy, chips, cakes) and actually began to pick out fruits. As we progressed from grade to grade we had a better understanding of what was going to get squished in our backpacks and what wasn’t. 

To this day, every time I s...

Category: Writers In Residence
Peter Mate
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By: Peter Mate, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Vancouver Campus, winner of the 2017 Stories from Abroad Scholarship and a member of the BC Study Abroad Writer in Residence Team.

Packing the minimum amount of supplies for a study abroad experience is essential in optimizing your international experience. As such, minimizing your supplies reduces travel cost, while providing extra freedom to travel. This optimization of cost and freedom is evidenced in reduced luggage fees and travel convenience. The cost of additional luggage for major carriers consumes a disproportionate size of airfare costs. As such, lightly packing preserves funds that compliment your travel experience. Moreover, the freedom of moving from place to place without the burden of extra suitcases preserves...

Category: Writers In Residence
Kyla Oshanek
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So your study abroad experience has ended. Perhaps you are home and looking for a summer job, or permanent employment. Your study abroad experience has changed your life, but did you know it can also land you your dream job? There are many skills that you have gained during your time abroad that set you apart from other applicants. Here are a few to help you turn your next job interview into a conversation about your study abroad experience and help you land the job:

  1. Ability to work independently: Whether you travelled abroad alone or with a group, you were no longer within your support network. Forced out of comfort zone, you had to make decisions and plans independently. Your employer will value your ability to think and work independently with confidence. 
  2. ...
Category: Writers In Residence
Kyla Oshanek
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For the majority of students I have spoken with wishing to participate in a study abroad program, funding is a major barrier. Many students pass up the opportunity of their dreams because they are already swimming in student loans and cannot think of adding to this burden. Beyond dipping into your savings, adding to your debt load, or working yourself to the bone, there are a number of ways to acquire the funds you need.

From scholarships, to bursaries, and various forms of fundraising you may be able to fund your entire trip without spending a dime. Most students are aware that scholarships and bursaries exist, but did you know that not all scholarships and bursaries require top grades? Some are indeed merit based, while others are specific to your program, your travel destination or your...

Category: Writers In Residence
Interesting foods during my research, Kyla Oshanek
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Do your homework. This goes both literally and figuratively. Many study abroad programs take academic achievement into account when selecting applicants, so hit those books. Additionally, researching the country you are applying to visit will not only help get you excited to study abroad, it will improve your understanding of the country’s culture, history and politics, as well as enhance your experience during your time abroad. 

Some topics I researched before my trip to Japan:

  • The weather during my stay. This helped me decide what to pack and what to expect when I arrived.
  • Blogs written by other students about their study abroad experiences. These students know first hand what you are likely to encounter and are an excellent resource for tips and ad...
Category: Writers In Residence
Camille James
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Before I actually began packing for my study abroad trip, I felt as though I had really been packing mentally for months. I thought about which particular articles of clothing I would need during the rainy English winter, whether I would need anything fancy, and specific supplies that I would need in my dorm room.

It took me a few days to gather everything I needed, and a few more to actually pack everything into my suitcase. (Rolling literally everything you own and packing things into vacuum storage bags takes time!) Here are some items I found particularly helpful to pack from home before beginning my journey abroad:

  1. Travel adapters. You will need an adapter from the moment you arrive in your host country, and having been on an airplane for hours you may be anxious to charg...
Category: Writers In Residence

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