study abroad « OSU Abroad

This blog entry is by Erin Chapman a Human Development and Family Sciences major at Oregon State University. She is an IE3 Global returnee.

In Fall 2014 I had the amazing opportunity of spending 3 months in Cambodia working as an intern for a non-profit NGO called Cambodian Organization for Children and Development. This is a blog entry taken from Day 49 of my trip in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

I have reached and passed the halfway point for this amazing adventure and the first thing that comes to mind…I am not ready to leave. So much has happened in just 6 and half weeks. I have learned so much about Cambodia, about this beautiful culture, about working and living abroad, about COCD and working in a non-profit organization, and about myself. This experience is changing my life.

This is not a countdown though. I’m not thinking how many days I have left but instead I am going to think about now and what I can do to make the most of every moment. When it comes to my internship with COCD, up to this point I have been easing into the office culture and finding my place. Now I am going to use this time to focus and contribute as much as I can to support the staff and the clients. Also, I have two big goals I need to cover: 1.) Learn as much of the Khmai language as I can, 2.) learn how to cook some Khmai food. I’m sharing these goals with you all so you can hold me accountable! I can do this!

There is one very personal thing I want to share about what this trip has meant to me so far. My home back in Oregon is wonderful and I love and miss all my friends and family so dearly. At the same time, I have never felt more accepted and happy in my life then how I feel here on this adventure. I have met some wonderful people who have made me feel incredibly loved and fulfilled. Some things in life are meant to be and I KNOW I am meant to be here. I feel as though I have found a place where I belong and this trip is definitely going to have a huge influence on what happens next in my life after I graduate from Oregon State. I still don’t have any idea what those plans will be though. I’m just going to have to wait and see!

So as usual, lots of exciting things have happened in the past week. Within the past 8 days I have:
– Dressed up as a lion for Halloween dodgeball (rawr!)
– Joined some of the staff from COCD on a full day visit to the Pursat Province to observe a meeting and discussion about a new project proposal
– Ate some fried crickets, worms, frogs, AND TARANTULA!
– Hiked 7 kilometers around the Anloung Chen Island with a group of 60 people
– Went on a 3 day trip to the beautiful beaches of Sihanoukville
– Joined a van full of teachers to the beach, and on the way, got stuck in the most ridiculous 40 kilometer (24 mile) traffic jam you can imagine. Somehow we managed to get out of it in about 4 hours (it doesn’t sound all that bad, but there was definitely potential for us to be stuck there for days)
– Spent a couple nights in a hostel literally ten steps away from the Gulf of Thailand waters
– Made some new friends with people from all across the world (Spain, England, Cambodia, US)

Throughout my trip, the adventures were endless.

To read Erin’s full blog, follow this lin k!

Christi Hoover is a Resident Director in Gold Coast, Australia for IFSA-Butler. Her background in education and travel has prepared her to help students get the most out of their study abroad experience. Read on to learn more about Christi and some of her favorite parts of Australia!

What brought you to be a Resident Director?
I came to Australia to backpack for 6 months and fell in love with the country. I had left a job in education to travel and knew that I wanted to continue to work with students. So, I started in student support as a student services coordinator. Then a few years later, I became manager of student services. That progression lead me to becoming a director. I have been working in international education in Australia for 8 years now and can honestly say that it really is a part of who I am. I love having a job which combines my passions: education, recreation, culture and travel.

What are some unique aspects of your city and country?
Many of the flora and fauna in Australia cannot be found anywhere else in the world. I live on the Gold Coast which is Australia’s most biologically diverse city. 80% of the population lives within 100 km (62 miles) of the coast, making it one of the world’s most urbanized coastal dwelling populations. Over 25% of Australians were born in a different country making for a very multicultural population. Melbourne has the largest Greek population in a city outside of Greece. Australia is home to the largest monolith (Uluru) and the largest living organism in the world (the Great Barrier Reef). You can see it from space! Also, Australia is the only country that is also a continent, and the only country that started as a prison.

What is one thing most of your students may not know about you?
I am from a very small town (population 300) and never got a passport until I was 24. Moving to live overseas was only the second time I had been on a plane. I really had no experience traveling and suddenly, there I was in London with little money and not knowing a soul. I was pretty much just out of school and had turned down a great job to come overseas, so it hadn’t been an easy decision. But challenging myself well outside of my comfort zone was one of the best decisions I have ever made. And let’s just say I’m now on my third passport (and filled every page in the first two).

What are some of your favorite aspects of being a Resident Director?
Getting to know the students. I love hearing how this experience has changed students’ lives and how they see themselves and the world. When students share their discoveries, challenges, and successes with me, it really makes it apparent how important cross cultural learning is and I feel privileged that I am involved in this process. I also work with some amazing staff, have the opportunity to take part in some pretty unique experiences, and visit some iconic locations.

What are some of the challenges of your job?
Managing crisis situations and incidents. Student safety and security is such a priority. A lot of work can go into assessing risk, creating contingency plans and keeping informed so that should there be any situations which require our involvement, we are ready. Rarely are these plans needed, but I always want to stay one step ahead in ensuring that students are informed and feel secure. Unfortunately not everyone has the perfect semester, but if there is a problem I’m usually a part of the solution. Although this can rewarding, it can be challenging.

What have you seen as the biggest challenge for incoming students?
Students are challenged in different ways. However, to pick one challenge that seems to effect most to some degree, I would say homesickness. The first few weeks in a new country can be hard and many students will find they do feel homesick and unsettled. But the vast majority of students don’t want to leave when the semester is coming to an end! I advise students to come to us for support during the tough times as my staff and I have been there ourselves! It’s likely we may be able to really help students feel better and more settled in this new experience. Some others may find it challenging financially. Australia is one of the locations where minimum wage is great and students are able to work part time. But it’s not always easy to find a job, so students shouldn’t rely on this and expect that it is a given.

What is your advice for students planning to attend your program, or to study abroad in your country?
Instead of comparing and contrasting when you come across things that are different, just embrace those differences! Analyze it later should you wish, but just jump into the experience and meet it with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. Like anything, this experience is what you make it. So come with the idea that you are going to try new ways of doing things, learn about new cultures, join new communities and grow as a person! If you wanted things to be the same, you could have stayed back home, but you stepped out of your comfort zone for a reason, so don’t waste time or negativity when those differences present themselves.

What is one thing you think students shouldn’t forget to pack for life in your country?
Sunblock, togs (bathing suit) and sand shoes (sneakers) are pretty essential for exploring our amazing environment. And depending on where you study, it does get cooler here in the winter (your summer), so pack some jumpers (sweatshirts) and such. But you can buy those items here if needed, so instead I would say your sense of adventure!

What do you think is the most important take-away for education abroad students?
Study abroad can be life changing and you will probably learn more about yourself, Australia, and the U.S. then you ever imagined. But you’ll need to be open to new experiences for it to really sink in. I am sure that your semester here in Australia will be one standout experience in your life, but when you return home, don’t shelf the experience. Realize what you have achieved, how you have grown and then continue your journey in learning more about yourself and the world around you.

To learn more about this study abroad program, check out this link!

Laurie Wilson is a Resident Director through IE3 Global at the Université Lyon 2 in Lyon, France. She has a doctorate degree in Romance Languages from the University of Oregon. Using her past experience from studying abroad and extensive French culture and language study, she helps students acclimate to life in France and get the most out of their own time abroad.

What brought you to be a Resident Director?
I happened to be in the right place at the right time with the right combination of experiences under my belt. I first studied abroad in France as an undergraduate in Poitiers through the University of California EAP program. I later worked as a graduate assistant for the Lyon exchange program for one year while I was a doctoral student in Romance Languages at the University of Oregon, then returned to Lyon once I had advanced to candidacy to join my husband, whom I had met during my time as the graduate assistant. I then worked as a graduate assistant at Université Lyon 2 for two years while I was writing my doctoral dissertation. The Lyon Resident Director position became available one year after I had completed my degree, and I was fortunate to be selected based on my experience studying and teaching in both the U.S. and French university systems and my background with study abroad and the Lyon exchange program in particular.

What are some unique aspects of your city and country?
Lyon has been inhabited for an uninterrupted period of over 2000 years, and has managed to preserve structures from its past throughout its constant evolution as a dynamic European center of innovation and trade. Evidence of this is everywhere, be it the Roman ruins near Fourvière, the medieval and Renaissance structures of Vieux Lyon, vestiges of the silk industry, the factory where the Lumière Brothers invented cinema, Interpol’s world headquarters or the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lyon is also the gastronomic capital of France!

What is one thing most of your students may not know about you?
I have also worked as a professional translator. I have translated two novels by Lebanese author Alexandre Najjar from French into English: L’Ecole de la guerre and Le Silence du tenor, both published by Telegram.

What are some of your favorite aspects of being a Resident Director?
I love the ever-changing nature of my job – it’s anything but monotonous. I enjoy accompanying students as they face and work through the challenges of adjusting to and learning to thrive in a culture very different from their own, learning what is a source of joy and what is a source of frustration for each of them and observing how they navigate their emotions and grow throughout their study-abroad experience.

What are some of the challenges of your job?
The biggest challenge is needing to be competent in so many areas without truly being able to master any of them. I am at once activities coordinator, rental agent, academic advisor, university administrator, counselor, health-care specialist, cultural mediator, international program developer, and educator. I adapt to the varying needs, interests and challenges of each new group of students.

What have you seen as the biggest challenge for incoming students?
By far the biggest challenge for students in our program is avoiding the comfortable fall-back of spending most or all of their free time with other American program participants, which can be lots of fun but is catastrophic for both language progress and cultural integration. It takes a great deal of courage for students to be more independent, to avoid contact with English as much as possible and to work through the awkward stage of initially only being able to communicate at a very basic level. But those who take the plunge end up attaining a much more enriching level of linguistic and cultural integration than do those who take the easy road.

What is your advice for students planning to attend your program, or to study abroad in your country?
Students should know that their role during a study abroad experience is not to compare and to criticize differences, but to observe and to try to understand what lies behind them. Come with an open mind, appreciate the experience for what it is without comparing it to what you thought it would be, adopt Lyon as your home while you are here rather than waiting for it to take you in and push beyond your comfort zone every day so you can make the most of your time here. Prior to arrival, students should do all that they can to improve their level of French so they have a solid base to build from once they get here.

What is one thing you think students shouldn’t forget to pack for life in your country?
Comfortable walking shoes and an appetite for adventure, both culinary and otherwise.

What do you think is the most important take-away for education abroad students?
Learning how to navigate an unexpectedly different culture, how to persevere in the face of incomprehension and frustration, learning new forms of independence, gaining an appreciation for tolerance, and rethinking “right and wrong” in terms of cultural norms.

To learn more about studying abroad in Lyon, France, click this link!

Fabián Espinosa has a deep love for nature and culture. He combines them both with his passion for teaching and travel through his Resident Director position in Quito, Ecuador, with SIT Study Abroad programs. Read on to learn more about studying abroad in a diverse and beautiful country!

What brought you to be a Resident Director?
As a freelance naturalist guide and cultural interpreter I learned about the great work of SIT Study Abroad in Ecuador, and throughout the years I did serve occasionally as Independent Study Project advisor. The program was a double RD program at that time, and when one of the directors resigned I was encouraged to apply for the position. According to my colleague, the institution was ready to hire an Ecuadorian citizen as RD.

What are some unique aspects of your city and country?
Ecuador is the most biologically diverse country per square meter in the Americas. It is also extremely diverse in terms of culture and ethnicity. Fourteen distinct indigenous nationalities, two Afro-Ecuadorian cultural groups and several international communities consider Ecuador their homeland. Ecuador drafted the most progressive constitution in the world in 2008, which considers nature as subject of rights and demands the construction of an alternative paradigm to development known locally as Sumak Kawsay, a Kichwa philosophical principle meaning plentiful life in harmony with nature. Quito, the capital city, was the first city to be declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO given its spectacular natural setting, colonial architecture, and rich history.

What is one thing most of your students may not know about you?
Maybe that I have had six near death experiences all related to activities in the ocean.

What are some of your favorite aspects of being a Resident Director?
Establishing a learning community with my students, leading educational excursions, and witnessing how students become intercultural and biophilic beings.

What are some of the challenges of your job?
Coping with local bureaucratic regulations, developing and revamping contingency plans on a regular basis, securing the participation of associates and lecturers, readjusting syllabi to meet the needs and/or expectations of students and sending institutions, and identifying appropriate research options for my students.

What have you seen as the biggest challenge for incoming students?
To learn how to unlearn and relearn.

What is your advice for students planning to attend your program, or to study abroad in your country?
To be assertive without being aggressive, to be kind without being docile, to be focused without being obsessed, to suppress self slightly, and to be tolerant with ambiguity.

What is one thing you think students shouldn’t forget to pack for life in your country?
Malaria prophylaxis medicine, or should I say sunscreen?

What do you think is the most important take-away for education abroad students?
The notion that interculturalism is highly relevant in the US as well.

In college, Rachel Wellborn got a taste of the life of a Resident Director while living with American students at her university. Years later, she is the Resident Director for Academic Programs International (API) in Leeds, United Kingdom. Rachel loves showing students the culture of Leeds, her favorite places to go, and especially loves introducing students to new (and delicious) foods!

What brought you to be a Resident Director?
When I was at university myself, I lived with an American study abroad student and I helped her and her friends adjust to life in the UK. It seemed like a natural progression into this job, although I had many other careers in between. I have lived a lot of different places, and I love telling students the types of things I wished I had known about on my own journeys of discovery in other cultures.

What are some unique aspects of your city and country?
Leeds is unique in many ways – it is a large city (750,000 inhabitants) but the centre, which has some of the best shopping for miles around, is best navigated on foot. It is home to two unique Edwardian cinemas, dating from 1911 where we go for British movie nights, and at least three country houses (think Downton Abbey), plenty of live music venues, splendid Victorian glass covered shopping streets, the largest indoor market in Europe, and the ruins of a great Gothic Abbey – Kirkstall Abbey, known as the Jewel in the Crown of Leeds. Leeds is a student’s best bet for a fully integrated experience in the UK, living in the same flat as British students and studying with them. Americans are still something of a rarity in Leeds, so most British students are desperate to get to know you. 🙂 Leeds is also geographically the very centre of the UK, so it is halfway between London to the South and Edinburgh to the North. It has the largest train station in the UK outside of London and very easy links for travelling around the UK and in Europe.

What is one thing most of your students may not know about you?
I have traveled alone for months around much of Central and South America and speak fluent Spanish. I also worked as a reinsurance broker in London for a number of years.

What are some of your favorite aspects of being a Resident Director?
I see educating young students from the US as something of a mission – to help them see a world outside the US, that is not wrong, just different, and sometimes even maybe possibly better in some ways (shock, horror!) . I also like disproving the fallacy that British food is bad. Being something of a foodie myself, I absolutely love it when a student tells me that they came expecting the terrible food that they had been told about prior to arrival, but in fact they haven’t had a bad meal since they arrived. I love introducing students to fish and chips, toad in the hole, Sunday Dinner, a proper curry, the delights of a full English breakfast and not forgetting the institution that is Afternoon Tea.

What are some of the challenges of your job?
A lot of work goes into the smooth running of the programmes and ensuring that the excursions and cultural events come off as planned. When it works well, it is a great relief, but this means that our students don’t see all the effort that went into it. I have had students ask me what my other job is when I am not with them. To say that this is a full time job is an understatement, so for them to not comprehend the amount of work that goes into it can be a little frustrating at times.

What have you seen as the biggest challenge for incoming students?
Adjusting to the independent nature of our university system. There is a lot of independent research and studying required and the entire grade can be based on just one final unseen exam. This is a bit scary for someone coming from the US system.

What is your advice for students planning to attend your program, or to study abroad in your country?
Just do it! You will love it! I have never had a student come to Leeds who didn’t love it and wish that they had come for a year instead of a semester. You should prepare yourself mentally by reading up on the British education system and trying your hand at independent study. You should also read about all the fabulous places you can visit while you are here, both in the UK and Europe.

What is one thing you think students shouldn’t forget to pack for life in your country?
An umbrella for the changeable weather, and an open mind 🙂

What do you think is the most important take-away for education abroad students?
It’s not wrong, it is just different and you only regret the opportunities you pass up.

To learn more about the programs offered at OSU, follow this link!

Beginning her love for travel during her own study abroad experience, Diana Arízaga has the pleasure of living in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico as a Resident Director for IFSA-Butler. She uses this position to help students make the most of their study abroad experience and learn about the culture of Mexico.

Diana Arizaga - IFSA Butler RD Mexico (1) — Diana is the third from the left.

What brought you to be a Resident Director?
My own experience as an exchange student –back in the day– provided me with the basics of learning to navigate and negotiate different realities. I soon realized that the world out there is so interesting and cultures and culture-learning is complex and fascinating at the same time. I started to apply this learning to my every-day activities: new jobs, professional relationships, and the way in which we learn and teach began to made more sense! Then I decided that this is what I wanted to do and I have been, for the last 25 years working as an assistant director and now as a Resident Director, dedicated to fostering an environment conducive to this type of learning for my students.

What are some unique aspects of your city and country?
Mexico is an amazing country, full of contrasts, rich history, wonderful food and interesting traditions. Despite the current situation, it is worth getting to know. Mérida, located in the South-East of the country is still, in my opinion, waiting to be discovered. This city is a living laboratory of the ancient Mayan culture and the contemporary ones. The Mayan influence is present everywhere: architecture, food, traditions and rituals. This mixed in with the non-Mayan (Spanish descent, Lebanese and Mestizo) populations, make for an incredibly diverse and interesting place. Although, it does help to be located so close to the Caribbean.

What is one thing most of your students may not know about you?
This is a tough one; they seem to know everything about me (and my husband). Particularly towards the end of the semester we become very familiar with each other. Perhaps the fact that had I not had this job, I would be doing something related to art.

What are some of your favorite aspects of being a Resident Director?
Watching students go from very shy, afraid and quiet to self-confident, independent and outspoken in a very short time. I truly think it is an honor to be able to witness this change, it is something their own parents may not see. I truly appreciate this.

Diana Arizaga - IFSA Butler RD Mexico (2) — Day of the Dead Celebration

What are some of the challenges of your job?
With Mexico being so much in the news for the wrong reasons currently, my biggest challenge for the last four to five years has been trying to very intentionally change the narrative of war and destruction, to one where we can showcase and try to focus on the good things about this place. We still have beautiful sunsets on the water, are able to taste the freshest of foods, discover beautiful things and meet people that warm our hearts with their actions. Ultimately, just trying to see beyond the negative and focus on the amazing and the positive. This can be very exhausting at times.

What have you seen as the biggest challenge for incoming students?
Context and awareness. I know this does not say much, but when students begin to think about the appropriate contexts for pretty much everything and start to become aware of this, they really start to appreciate their experience. This, obviously, is one of the most difficult things to do, and it does not happen automatically upon stepping foot in a different country. It happens with time, preparation and patience…a little sense of humor comes in handy too.

What is your advice for students planning to attend your program, or to study abroad in your country?
Embrace change, be flexible and enjoy everything, the little and the big things. This experience will not repeat. You may be back to Mérida a million times after being here for a semester, but the way you will see this place for the first time and the people you will see it with, will always stay with you. The thoughts that go through your head when you see Chichen-Itzá or Uxmal, etc., for the first time, are indescribable and yours only. This can be applied to everything you do when you study abroad in a different country for the first time.

What is one thing you think students shouldn’t forget to pack for life in your country?
Flexibility, a positive attitude and a great sense of humor. Everything else, you can find here.

What do you think is the most important take-away for education abroad students?
Develop a sense of context and awareness. This can be applied to everything in life.

To learn more about studying abroad through Oregon State University, check out this link!

Ally Malone is studying Chemistry and is in the Honors College at Oregon State University. Currently an ambassador for the OSU Office of Global Opportunities, Ally is a travel enthusiast. In fall of 2014 she went on exchange to Lancaster University in Lancaster, United Kingdom. Read on to hear about hiking, exploring and learning abroad!

The Lake District in Northern England is known for its tremendous views, rigorous hiking and stormy weather. Luckily for me, Lancaster University is situated right on the outskirts of this National Park. Although I wouldn’t call myself an experienced hiker, I was determined that the best way to see the English countryside would be to join the Lancaster University Hiking Club.

The first trip to the Lake District proved quite challenging. We took a large coach down windy cobblestone streets to the small town of Langdale. There were three hikes to choose from with varying levels of difficulty. Being ambitious and a little clueless of the length of a kilometer, I excitedly chose the hardest hike and was soon on my way down the rolling, green hills to the trail head.

The first three kilometers were up make-shift granite stairs that climbed over 1500 feet to the top of the small mountain. The heavy morning fog clouded the entire view of the valley and made it seem like I was floating amongst the clouds. Despite my gasping for air and the persistent stich in my side, I found the strength to continue to put one foot in front of the other.

At the top, the fog had lifted with the defrosting of the morning and the view of the cascading valleys below was astonishing. It was here that it dawned on me just how outrageous it was that I came to England, utterly alone, and felt at ease and comfortable.

The journey of this hike stands as a symbol for my entire experience in England. It wasn’t always easy and I had to constantly work to survive in the new culture, but the ups and downs made the experience richer and more rewarding than I could have ever hoped for. If I had to take away just one thing from my time abroad, it would be to take chances on new experiences that challenge my knowledge and body and trust myself to succeed.

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