study abroad « OSU Abroad

Breanna Balleby is a junior in the Oregon State University Honors College majoring in English and International Studies and minoring in French. During Summer 2013, Breanna studied at the Centre international d’étude de la langue française (CIDEF) at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest in Angers, France through the summer intensive french language program offered by AHA International. She also detailed her term-long experience abroad in her own summer travel blog.

Weekend excursions, soirées with the moniteurs (teaching assistants), dinners with my famille d’accueil (host family), and of course mes cours (my courses) made my first experience abroad a flourishing success. All aspects of my French language proficiency (speaking, listening, writing, and reading comprehension) skyrocketed while studying abroad. Combine that with my continued appreciation and understanding of the surrounding culture française and it’s easy to see how my experience abroad was so fulfilling. To top it all off, I found it was the unexpected and spontaneous moments out and about in Angers that really enhanced my time abroad. It was at these seemingly unimportant times that I found myself fully experiencing la vie française (the French life) and practically blending in with the rest of the Angevins (people from Angers).

One of my favorite moments may appear rather mundane from an outside perspective, but to me it represented a realization of true immersion. I was waiting for the bus, as I often did while in Angers. By the way, I must take a side tangent to compliment Angers, along with the rest of France on its exceptional public transportation system. When I first arrived in Angers, my host family told me the bus would always be within six minutes of the time it was supposed to be there, up to three minutes before and up to three minutes later than the proposed time. I have to say, as a frequent rider of ligne 3 between my host home in Avrillé (a suburb of Angers) and centre-ville (downtown), I was very pleased to find that my host family’s tip was correct! It was quite an efficient transportation system and definitely made me recognize some ways we could improve our own public transit back home. Needless to say, I was a fan of irigo (the Angers transit system).

So anyway, I was waiting for the bus, right? It was a beautiful summer day, but there was an occasional downpour or two even in the warmest months of the year. Let’s just say, I came to France not knowing the word for “storm,” but left knowing very well that it is called an horage. This late-July day, I was almost to the bus stop when I felt a few raindrops on my arms that were soon accompanied by the sound of distant thunder. Within seconds, I had made it to the bus stop and the rain was pouring. It was amazing how quickly it was coming down, but what was more moving was the instant sense of community ignited by this deluge. People who had been walking along le Boulevard Foch quickly popped into the bus stop in order to escape the rain. In this moment, language was unnecessary to express the general shock and partial humor of the situation. A group of us were huddled together in that bus stop away from the beating rain and rushing wind, half smiling and half in awe of the scene before us. This moment only lasted a few minutes, but it is much more powerful to me than just getting stuck outside during an unexpected horage. At that time, everyone who piled into the bus stop was similar, and we transcended the normal roles of Angevin, foreigner, student, passerby, etc. As simple as it was from an outside perspective, it was one of the first times where my identity as “a student from the United States temporarily living in France” disappeared momentarily, and we all became “some people who happened to be outside during a passing horage.”

This experience marked the beginning of a grand appreciation for living in the moment. From that point on, I continued to search the beauty of simplistic or routine qualities of life in Angers. On Saturday, I went to the local marché en plein air (Farmer’s Market). I tried sushi for the first time ever with my French friend, Anne-Claire. I visited le Musée des Beaux-Arts (the local art museum) not once, but three times, after finding out that admission was free for students. During my one week off from classes, I even figured out how to get a library card at the municipal library! Lastly, I would always take up the opportunity to walk around Angers whether I was on my way home from the university, wandering downtown, or exploring the beautiful riverside park behind my host family’s house. Overall, it was these experiences that helped me fully integrate into the Angevin culture. By focusing on these serendipitous and passing moments, I transitioned from being an outsider and a tourist to becoming a participatory and understanding student of la vie angevine.

It is this quality of life, more than anything that I’ve taken away with me from studying abroad in Angers. So now, no matter where I am in the world, I have continued (and plan to continue!) to fully participate in and reflect on those seemingly unimportant moments. These preciously simple instances of day-to-day life should be appreciated for the potential of adventure, spontaneity, and/or even just a possibility of a shared human experience that lies within.

Robert Plascencia is a junior in the College of Engineering at Oregon State University, studying Electrical and Computer Engineering and minoring in Business and Entrepreneurship. In order to gain cross-cultural experience, and heighten his German language skills, Robert studied abroad in Berlin, Germany through AHA at the Freie Universität Berlin during Summer 2013.

I’ve wanted to travel the world ever since high school, but I never really got the chance. I also wanted to become an engineer, but I didn’t know if those two things could be merged.

During my sophomore year of college, I realized that engineers sometimes travel as a part of their jobs if they already have experience living abroad: employers look for individuals that are familiar with cultural assimilation. Even though my mind was set on wanting to go learn about the world, I still had to face the problem of funding. While I had a little bit of money saved up, I applied for some scholarships to cover the rest of my costs. Right when it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to go, I was awarded the Gilman Scholarship at the last possible moment — which was more dramatic than I’d have liked. I would get the chance to learn how cultures vary and what it was like to be a part of the minority.

I traveled to Berlin for a month and lived with a homestay family. Having never traveled so far before, I needed to find a balance between my desire to acquire an intercultural perspective and my first-time exposure to living in another country. I found that a short-term summer program was a good compromise: I learned without overwhelming myself. I had a great host family that had been to the United States several times and had hosted American students before, but was still eager to learn about life in the States and was more than happy to share about Germany. Interestingly, they were hosting an exchange student from Italy at the same time, so I learned about Italy and the larger European Union as well.

In addition to learning through my interactions with my host family, I took German courses at the Freie Universität Berlin (The Free University of Berlin, lovingly called FUBiS) and was in a classroom with mostly other American students who had never been to Germany before. Being around so many other Americans let me see how other people handle the change, the culture shock, and how they grow to become self-reliant. Seeing this, combined with my own personal growth, I learned that different people can be the same as us.

While I didn’t study engineering in Germany and instead focused on German language, this time abroad still applies to my greater career aspirations. I was afraid to study engineering because I felt my German wasn’t nearly good enough to appreciate the concepts I would’ve been learning. I became more fluent with German. Of course, I still have much to learn – I have a clear American accent, my vocabulary is poor, I speak slowly, and I need to think carefully about how to say every sentence. Nonetheless, through the language, I learned about the German way of life, and gained that experience employers look for when considering whom to send abroad: they know I won’t succumb to culture shock, that I have dealt with the challenges of being away before, and that I am open to change. My next step in this journey is to apply this experience to an internship or to an actual career.

Even though most people set out to experience a different culture or to get away from home, careful planning allows travel to help with career aspirations as well. With new challenges always come new opportunities, and engineering is a field always looking for those driven to learn.

Kimberley Preston is a junior in the Oregon State University Honors College studying both Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences and International Studies. During Fall 2013, Kim studied Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management at the School for International Training (SIT) in Madagascar.

My whole life I have been a naturally fast walker. As soon as I decide on a target destination, I charge forward, taking long strides, and moving with purpose. After spending a semester in Madagascar, however, my technique has changed. As a student in a biodiversity and natural resource management program, I spent the majority of my four months abroad trekking through rainforests, spiny thickets, deserts, mangroves and the infamous tsingy (stone forest). All the while I learned about nature and immersed myself in the diverse environments and cultures of Madagascar. But, in a country rooted in the theme of mora mora (slowly, slowly), where success in life is measured by zebu count, family and land, where people live and breathe the environment around them, no one goes out hiking for fun. For most Malagasy people, hiking is not an activity of pleasure; it is a necessity of daily work.

In every new region we explored, the theme of mora mora persisted. Nearly three months into our semester, we reached Le Parc National d’Andringitra. This place was unlike any others we had seen yet. We hiked to base camp with all of our gear on our backs. The elevation gain revealed itself in the hours of steep climbing and in the cooling air around us.

The very next day, we woke with the sunlight hitting the cathedral mountains that formed a ring around our little plateau. Packing plenty of water and layers to shield against the cold, we followed our local guide to the trail head. Before leaving, Fidel, our guide, explained rule number one: he would set the pace. Composed of experienced hikers, the group was antsy to charge the mountain to reach our final destination, Peak Bobby, but we respected the rule and obediently kept pace with Fidel throughout the hike.

I soon realized, though, that this was not the usual, aggressive Western pace I grew up with. This was a hiking experience following the rhythm of a Malagasy man. For the first time I truly felt the heartbeat of this amazing place and I realized the value of living by the pace of mora mora. It gave me time to taste the cool, moist air; to hear my shoes scuff the dirt; to exchange ideas with my peers and live in the moment.

Today, back in the U.S. it is easy to fall into pace with those rushing around me—everyone charging forward with a purpose. Now though, I slow down every so often and appreciate the value of experiencing not only different places but different paces as well.

Kristin Chase recently graduated from Oregon State University with degrees in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and International Studies and an Anthropology minor. Kristin recently returned from Amman, Jordan where she studied Arabic through the SIT: Intensive Arabic Language Studies program. Additionally, Kristin interned at Ruwwad: The Arab Foundation for Sustainable Development through IE3 Global Internships.

I returned about a month ago from spending five amazing months in Jordan. While abroad I had the opportunity to build upon my Arabic language education, as well as apply my research skills and passion for social justice. Since OSU only offers second year Arabic courses online, it was imperative that I go abroad in order to continue working towards my goal of becoming fluent. I chose to study through SIT because they offer a seven-week intensive language program in the summer. I wanted a program that was focused on language and had a homestay component. I lived with a middle class- Palestinian family who spoke fluent English, but also spoke Arabic with me. I was able to experience Ramadan in a family setting and learn more about Jordanian life from the perspective of a particular class in society. The program was also a good fit for me because we took many excursions that allowed students to understand more about the country’s culture and history. My favorite part of the SIT program was the Bedouin homestay experience. I had such a sweet family and I went back to visit them for a week after the program ended. Not only did my host family treat me as one of their own, but I also quickly became close with many members of the village. Overall, it was great starting out with a structured program as it provided a smooth transition into Jordanian society.

After completing the language program, I started a three-month internship with Ruwwad, an organization based on community and youth empowerment that hosts many sustainable programs to benefit the local people. I chose this particular internship because of the organization’s focus on women and gender equality. Ruwwad allowed me to merge my interests in, and apply my skills related to, women’s issues, Arabic language and culture, and research writing. I wouldn’t do the organization justice by trying to describe all of the incredible work they do, so I will focus on my particular projects. Since I am a Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies major, I knew I wanted to focus my efforts on something that would benefit women. Therefore, I taught women’s English classes (which were content based) that allowed me to develop relationships with many women in the community. My conservative dress and knowledge of Islam made me quickly accepted by the female students and their family members. Reputation is extremely important in such a community. The classes provided opportunities for the students and I to speak about clothing and modesty, gender roles, the Arab spring and other political issues, leadership and community involvement, as well as the media. Every day was such a pleasure because the women were really funny and opinionated and I enjoyed watching them express themselves as they became more comfortable in class. Our conversations gave me a deeper understanding of the power issues women face in their particular community, which helped shape the other component of my internship. I developed a conscious building module that Ruwwad will translate into Arabic and implement over the next few months. I am really excited about this and think Ruwwad is a model social justice organization. I feel so blessed to have been selected to intern for them.

While completing my internship, I lived in an apartment with a British woman who worked as a refugee activist. It was really nice to live with someone who shared similar passions and could relate to being a woman abroad. Living in a new environment, particularly the Middle East, has a lot of negative stereotypes attached to it—especially if you’re a woman. However, I highly recommend it! I found that in general, because of my respect for the local customs and interest in the language, culture, and religious dynamics, most families and women accepted me and treated me as family. Jordan, and some neighboring countries, I would argue, are much safer than reported by the media. Moving somewhere new with such a complex and fascinating culture forced me to rely on myself and become more competent, not only in navigating new geographical spaces, but also in understanding sociocultural dynamics, my own identity, and other people. I have become so much more confident and grown into myself by embarking on this journey and I am beyond blessed to have had this opportunity. I can’t wait to go back!

Charlene is an Environmental Science and International Degree student with a minor in German. She studied abroad at Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (Freiburg, Germany) on the OUS Baden-Württemberg Exchange Program during the 2012-2013 academic year. She is currently a senior and is applying for funding of her Master’s studies in Germany for next October.

During my time abroad I marveled at the Germans’ environmental protection and conservation efforts through culture, laws, trash separation, wind and solar energy development, but what I fell in love with was the language. Yes, I know. Deutsch is rarely, if ever, deemed poetic and lyrical. However, the words are practical conglomerations of smaller words. Deutsch has a multitude of dialects within and outside of Germany. The language is diverse yet unified through the people who speak it. I find it beautiful.

I did not begin my year in Freiburg with immaculate Deutsch. Although I had already completed the 300 series at OSU (equivalent to 3^rd year proficiency) and could read and write pretty well, meine Aussprache, or pronunciation, and overall confidence in speaking the language was lacking. I went abroad with the set goal to improve my Deutsch, but improvement in a foreign language does not happen overnight. Through this blog entry, I hope to illustrate how difficult it can be to step out of your language comfort zone, but just how rewarding that leap can be for you as a person.

I was super enthusiastic my first few weeks in Germany, but I began to feel overwhelmed. I was far from home: my culture, my humor, my food, my music. Although I had travelled before, I had never lived in a foreign country for an extended period of time, or had to rely on my foreign language skills to get around. I was exhausted at the end of each day. I eventually realized that taking university courses for a foreign language was much different than trying to comfortably utilize that language in a society. I had an American accent. As soon as I spoke — if I were lucky enough not to be immediately “English’d” — I was asked “Ach, wo kommst du her?” (“Oh, where are you from?”). This sounds like an innocent question, but after a while, it can become intimidating. You try to improve your language skills and integrate, yet you are continuously reminded of your foreignness.

So I went through a period where I avoided speaking to others, in German or English. My brain was so confused. It became normal for me to mix German and English vocabulary and grammar, and sometimes even my American friends didn’t understand what I was trying to communicate. So I stopped talking and started listening. I began to observe, which was new to me. In the U.S., I was always in the spotlight or on the stage; I’d never been a wallflower.

As I listened and observed the people around me for a couple of weeks, I began to understand how they interpersonally communicated: quieter voices, polite verb forms, overall more reserved. I would eavesdrop on conversations in the Straβenbahn (streetcar/tramway) and began to understand the little Kinder (children), which was a very good sign my listening comprehension was improving. I eventually began to realize that I would have to use German if I expected myself to make progress with the language. I was a foreigner in a foreign place, and I would just have to adjust and be more patient with myself and my abilities.

I remember one Tuesday morning in Freiburg very clearly. Waking up, I told myself, “Today is the day, I’m going to make German friends.” That morning I was on a mission.

I made my way to campus and entered the Vorlesung (lecture) room a few minutes early to find my American friend had not yet arrived. It was the perfect opportunity. I went to the row behind where we, die zwei Amis (two Americans), usually sat and asked two German students if we could sit with them that day, to which they responded “Na klar!” (Well of course!).

I was relieved, but tried to mask it—I was now sailing uncharted waters. When my American friend arrived, he looked pleasantly surprised to discover that we would be sitting with the Germans that day. We both managed to make conversation with our two new friends, although we had to ask a few times “Wie bitte?” to have them patiently repeat themselves so that we could be a part of the conversation.

At the end of Vorlesung, I was determined to not let this opportunity for friendship with the natives slip by. I immediately asked if they were free on Friday night and would like to get together for a dinner and game night at Stusie (our dorm). To my ultimate delight and relief, we exchanged Handynummern (cell phone numbers) with the Germans.

From then on, my language began to improve. I cared less about my grammar mistakes and American accent, it was more important to me that I had found patient friends who would interact with me and were just as curious about me as I was about them. I have to say, my language developed through the friendships I made throughout the year. In January, I joined the local roller derby team and spent my Friday nights at Training, learning to understand Umgangsprache (slang) and how to roller skate. By the beginning of my second semester in Germany, I was taking regular university courses in Environmental Science with the Germans, I had Training with the derby girls, and I spent time with my Tandem partner (my German conversant partner) cooking Käsespätzle and watching Tatort (a popular German television series). I was totally surrounded by Deutsch. I could feel myself continually making progress and adapting to the culture. I’m very blessed to have made the friends I did in Freiburg, many of whom I have remained in active contact with! Through my friendships came my language skills and the best part about being back in the United States is that I know Deutsch ist und bleibt für immer ein Teil von mir (German is and remains forever a part of me).

Olivia Hollenhorst is an International Ambassador for the International Degree and Education Abroad (IDEA) office. She is a senior studying Public Health and considering a GIS Certification. During Winter and Spring terms 2013 Olivia participated in the CIEE: Community Public Health Botswana program.

As a Public Health major with only a basic understanding of anatomy and an expired CPR certification under my belt, I felt a little underqualified standing next to Dr. Suzie, the competent French speaking doctor from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As she began to cauterize the blood vessels on our adult circumcision patient, I thought to myself how lucky I was to be observing in such a unique environment. This was my third month in Botswana and already I had crossed four borders, eaten breakfast next to white rhinos, picked up enough local Setswana to ask for directions, and now here I was observing births and circumcisions in the small village of Kanye.

My study abroad program was specifically designed with a public health emphasis, allowing myself and the other students to spend 10 hours a week observing and learning in the local clinics around the capital city of Gaborone. Botswana was an especially exceptional country to study in due to its celebrity in the public health world for its management and response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Just 10 years ago, Botswana’s life expectancy was in the 30s. With a 40 percent prevalence rate across the country, the already small population of Botswana took a hit physically and economically.

With the help of foreign aid, the government of Botswana has been able to expand health care coverage to around 90 percent of the population. This coverage includes HIV/AIDS counseling, anti-retroviral therapy, and co-infection treatment for tuberculosis. While still extremely limited in resources and man power (17 percent of the health care work force was depleted due to the epidemic), Botswana has raised its life expectancy back up to 60 years and lowered the adult prevalence rate to 23.9 percent. Though the pervasiveness of HIV/AIDS still leaves Botswana with the second highest prevalence rate in the world, there is no doubt that care and treatment for HIV/AIDS have been drastically improved.

Botswana’s health care system is centralized on primary health care through the government. There is a nominal fee of five pula (equating to 58 U.S. cents), but anyone who needs care receives it. Although the national health care system is accessible and inexpensive, there are still gaps in quality of care and management. One of the largest problems Botswana faces in most government factions is human and resource management. While there may be a clinic in every major village, they are not always adequately stocked or staffed. Being on the ground, observing and assisting in clinics made me realize how variable and inimitable health care is. Every country must have a characteristically unique system in order to provide the most comprehensive and accurate care for the population. My five months in Botswana left me with a committed interest in global health and an understanding of how much more I have to learn.

Helen Walters is a senior at Oregon State pursuing a degree in Bioresource Research with a minor in Chemistry. During Summer 2012 Helen voyaged with Semester at Sea (SAS) – a program that provides students with a multiple country experience. During her 2 month voyage, Helen visited the countries of Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Morocco and Portugal.

This past summer, I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in Semester at Sea’s 2012 Summer Voyage. The entire experience was made possible because of funding that I received from both Semester at Sea and Oregon State University. Throughout my program, I wrote and shared a blog of my various adventures and experiences with family, friends, and contacts back home. The trip, as one would imagine, was incredible. The new sights, experiences, and friendships I discovered were beyond anything I had previously imagined. Being immersed in so many different cultures stimulated a lot of reflection time when I got back to the U.S. I discovered that what I had most taken away from my SAS experience was a broadened sense of the world and a more accurate sense of self.

As it turned out my favorite experience wasn’t the snorkeling in Croatia, or the camel riding in Morocco, or watching the 2012 Eurocup semifinals in Barcelona, Spain (and mind you I am a huge soccer fan). My favorite part of the trip was how I felt at the end. I thought for a long time, “why was it that out of all the new experiences I had and people I met, that the ultimate end of the experience was a greater understanding of the world and how I fit in it.”

This brings me to the crux of my reflection: Culture Shock.

You hear many times before embarking on your journey abroad that when you reach the destination, you will experience something called “culture shock.” Culture shock happens when you are completely immersed in a culture that is unlike the one you have spent your entire previous life in. It can be scary, exciting, new, and ultimately shocking. Culture shock is discussed as something to be feared, wary of, and ultimately inevitable. The reverse of culture shock happens when you arrive back home and are re-introduced to America.

When you arrive back stateside from your study abroad, people view you differently and you view yourself differently. You feel like a different person and those around you, who are at all perceptive, take notice.

Before I went on the 2012 Semester at Sea Summer Voyage, I had never been out of North America. I had never before heard people speaking languages that I did not understand, nor had I seen stop signs written in Arabic (a language I could not even begin to read) and I certainly had never met people like those I met abroad. I was in culture shock.

One of my favorite experiences actually involved being lost in Istanbul, Turkey. I was looking for a hotel that my friend’s mom was staying in and somehow managed to get very lost. It was dark and we were wandering in the back alleyways of Istanbul. The biggest problem was that I couldn’t understand any of the people and therefore asking for directions was quite challenging. My friend and I saw five Turkish men sitting on the side of the road playing a card game and chatting away. Desperate, I approached them and asked for directions to the hotel, as I frantically pointed to the address on the piece of paper that I clutched in my hand. They were talking in Turkish. I was talking in English. Not a word was understood. It was obvious that we were at an impasse.

Then, one of the elderly gentlemen took my precious piece of paper containing the address I was trying to reach. He raised his hand in a motion to follow him. Then the question was “do I follow the old man down the dark alleyway or do I not?” Well, yes was the answer I came up with. Yes. For twenty minutes, my friend and I walked through winding alleyways, up and down hills, and around buildings as we followed this man. Eventually, we came out on the busy street. Right in front of us was the hotel and the man was frantically pointing to it, as if saying “please, it is right in front of you, you cannot miss it from here!”

As I am searching in my purse for some Turkish liras, the nice gentleman just walks away. Although he didn’t accept any form of payment for his help and he may never remember me, I will forever remember him as the man who showed me the way in Istanbul.

Yes, some of the culture shock was scary, but mostly it’s exhilarating. For the first time, I was the minority. I was the one having difficulties speaking a language that was foreign to me. Ultimately I was the one who didn’t “fit in.” It was absolutely wonderful. This new atmosphere induced vast amounts of learning about other cultures and stimulated a desire to understand the world better.

The bottom line is that no matter how well one attempts to prepare for it, culture shock can still happen. When you return you may be the quiet one who prefers to re-examine the scenery of America, or you may be the boisterous one who wants to share every single story you have with every person you meet. Regardless, remember your experiences abroad and remember how they have allowed you to see the world in a different light. Most importantly, remember that no matter what you saw or did, you are still the same person, but with a greater understanding of the world at large.

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Tag Archives: study abroad

Joie de vivre: Discovering the “Joy of Life” in Angers

Overseas Experience Boosts Employability

A Feeling of Place and Pace

My Second Home: Jordan

Talk Deutsch to Me

Public Health in Botswana

A Voyage of Self-Reflection

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