Lisa's most excellent Amazonian adventure

Posted by BCSAadmin on 06/16/2015

T minus 6 days until I depart to a part of the world that I have only dreamed of experiencing. On Saturday, May 23rd I will be flying from Vancouver to Toronto and then off to South America. Am I ready? Mentally, one hundred percent; physically, high eighties. My world pre-departure has been a whirlwind.

The Colombian Amazon has been a place of wonder to me from my very early childhood. I read books, marveled at photographs and even studied aspects of its geography in university. As soon as I heard about the Amazon field school, I knew it was something I had to do. I told myself that somehow I would find the time, funds and support to do this and with that determination, this experience of a lifetime has come to fruition. My family and friends have given unwavering support and I...

Tags: Stories from Abroad Scholarship Colombian Amazon Scholarship Study Abroad
Category: Student Blog
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Martin Leibman

New York

Posted by BCSAadmin on 06/02/2015

Travel opens minds, and builds a platform upon which the fertile intellect of a young person can structure, and prosper.

Travel embeds culture and the manner of man's development into the soul of the traveler. We witnesses new things, sights, and pleasures. We expose our hearts to the vision and sounds of new beliefs, life styles, and eons of history.

Travels welcomes the traveler, to places and things, never seen before, foods, and dress, customs, and societal layers that illustrate the purpose of man's endeavor.

We travel to learn, and in some small way, be part of the greater fabric of humankind, irrespective of color or creed.

Our journeys impart in us the need to belong, and protect our world from harm, ensuring that the future generations after us, may enjoy what...

Tags: K-12 Scholarship New York
Category: Student Blog
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Meghan Thompson

It’s all about adjusting - Part 2

Posted by BCSAadmin on 05/21/2015

Continued from It’s all about adjusting - Part 1...

On top of the language barrier, I’ve also been learning to adapt to certain lifestyle changes that are characteristic to France. Rather than focusing on administrative efficiency like in North America, the French have advanced their healthcare and public transportation systems. So, while the metro lines, buses, and trains are fantastic, and will take you almost anywhere you want to go, the university registration process was more difficult than I expected. And while, as a Type One Diabetic I’m jealous that residents of France with chronic medical conditions have all of their prescriptions paid for by the government, I’ve noticed a very different and laid back sort of approach to customer service and administrative tasks. For exam...

Tags: Remes Family Study Abroad Scholarship student blog France
Category: Student Blog
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Meghan Thompson

It’s all about adjusting - Part 1

Posted by BCSAadmin on 05/19/2015

I’ve been abroad for just over two months now, and after a 3-week reading break filled with travelling across Spain and France, I’m finally starting to get into the actual studying aspect of my studies abroad.

Since the education system in France is much different than at Canadian Universities, I had to make some tweaks to my study habits before I could approach my assignments. The commentary is a favorite method of assessment for the French, and each one of my classes has one for the mid-term exam as well as one for the final exam. It’s a relatively new type of assignment for me, and it contradicts many of the major principles of Canadian essay writing— with a particularly long introduction and a conclusion that introduces completely new information—both of which are absolutely f...

Tags: Remes Family Study Abroad Scholarship student blog France
Category: Student Blog
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