Monday, October 27, 2014

Emphasis on the Study: Classes in a New Country

Going into my study abroad experience, I thought classes would be similar to what I was used to in the US. It didn’t take me long (probably only 3 days) to realize that classes would be different…Way different. Now, I realize that classes could be entirely different in each country, and classes may be different at universities within the same country. I talked to a couple of my friends who studied abroad in other countries to get other perspectives to add to this blog, and my hope is that this post leaves you curious to know more about how classes can differ from what you know. Maybe so curious, that it makes you decide to study abroad and go figure it out for yourself! :)

University of Canberra

Canberra, Australia


This is the university I studied abroad at, and I was surprised at how many differences I found. Here are just a few differences I noticed:
  • Each class has a lecture and a ‘tutorial.’ Tutorials are smaller sections of your lecture, which allows for more discussion and activities to recap what you learn in lecture. 
  • Depending on the week and your classes, you may not have all of your lectures or tutorials. I had one class where lecture was every other week, and on the weeks with no lecture, tutorials met. I had another class where lecture and tutorial was every week. Another class had lectures every week and only six tutorials throughout the whole semester. I really had to be on top of things to know when I needed be where each week! 
  • Most Australians do not go to lectures. Professors would post audio recordings of their lectures online, so most students would use that instead of actually going to class. Several friends I met in classes actually scheduled to work during their lectures! 
  • I only had 3 exams my entire semester. Most of my classes were papers that required me to write about a situation where I needed to apply what I was learning. It was much more application based than theory based, and this was something hard for me to adjust to.

Université de Nantes
Nantes, France

Université de Nante

My long-time best friend, Catherine, studied abroad in Nantes, France when we were seniors (round one) in college. I went to visit her while she was there, and my visit with her is actually one of the reasons I ended up studying abroad. I asked Catherine a few questions about her experience regarding classes, and here are some of the main points she told me:
  • Classes were different lengths and different times every day. 
  • Some of her professors were strict, while others were laid back. There wasn’t a typical way professors were, they all varied and you had to get to know how each professor was in regards to how strict or laid-back they were. 
  • In France, if you have a long class, there’s a designated smoking break in the middle. 
  • Over all, classes were easy. Catherine only got a grade based on a final exam, which was her language proficiency test, so there was no way to study except learn the language. This was because of the program she was with, but the goal was for her to learn French while she was in her classes. 

La Universidad Nacional

Heredia, Costa Rica



One of my friends from grad school, Kristin, studied abroad in Costa Rica, so I also took the time to chat with her to get a perspective from another region. Kristin had a lot of things to say about her classes in Costa Rica, so here are some of things she mentioned:
  • In the US, it is unlikely that students will wait in a classroom if the professor is 45 minutes late. This is not the case in Costa Rica, however, as no matter how late the professor is, students will not leave class early. 
  • Kristin’s professors were very laid back and not strict about requirements. She remembers asking a professor for clarification on how long a paper should be, and the professor did not give a solid answer, but rather stated “two, three, four…It doesn’t really matter. It’s more about quality than quantity.” 
  • The language barrier was interesting to work through. She had to make sure she understood what was going on, so Kristin would often talk to professors after class about assignments to make sure she understood what she was supposed to be doing. She also befriended native Spanish speakers in her classes, so she could also talk to them about assignments. Kristin said she would meet some friends outside of class to serve as a “language partner” to help her with her Spanish skills. 
  • Instead of getting books from a bookstore, professors used what is called a “copy shop.” At copy shops in Costa Rica, professors can copy chapters from books they want to use, and the shop will combine it into a large stack/book for students. These shops were everywhere, and often had long lines at the beginning of semesters since everyone was trying to get all their books!


Once again, you will likely encounter your own differences at any university you choose to study abroad at. If you are on a faculty-led program, this may not even apply to you, but you will still be learning in a new and different environment and may face different challenges. Wherever you are going, be ready to experience something new and exciting!

Monday, October 20, 2014

6 Tips for Battling Homesickness

Homesickness is something you will likely encounter during a study abroad program, regardless of if it's a two week program or a semester long program.  You may only be a little homesick for a short amount of time, or you might feel extremely homesick for a while.  No matter how homesickness hits you, here are some tips in dealing with missing home. This list comes from answers I got from asking my friends who I met abroad and other friends I have who have studied abroad, so they are real solutions people have used!

1) Stay busy


You’re going to be in a brand new place - adventures are everywhere! If you’re feeling homesick, find someone to go on an adventure with, or go somewhere by yourself. This could be as simple as taking a walk around your new area, but be sure you do not allow yourself to sit and think about home all the time. My Aussie housemates were always willing to take me on random adventures, which was super awesome. So, get out there and enjoy your time abroad!

A few of the ones who became my family while I was abroad.
This was in our first two weeks of being abroad, and I had
no idea the impact they would have on me! 

2) Find your family


My group of friends became my family while I was abroad. Having such a tight group was probably what saved the most from being homesick too much. When I did feel homesick, I found it super comforting to hang out with my other study abroad friends who could relate. I was abroad for Thanksgiving, and I think this was the time homesickness affected me the most. I was taking final exams on Thanksgiving Day, while my friends were off of school and with their families. My US friends and I celebrated by cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for us and our Aussie friends. It helped so much to be with them since I couldn’t be with my family. Of course, we had to have an Aussie spin to our Thanksgiving abroad, so we watched cricket while eating. 

3) Social Media


When I first got to Australia, I Skyped people 3 or 4 times a week (probably a little too much). As I got more used to things and found friends abroad, this steadily dropped. During my homesickness phase, Skype helped me a lot to stay in touch with friends back home. I also used Facebook to see what was going on back home and message friends. Social media makes it pretty easy to stay in touch with all your friends, but be careful with this, you don’t want to stay hidden behind a computer screen and miss all the experiences you could be having in your host country! Use Skype and social media when you need it for your homesickness, but be sure it’s not the only way you battle homesickness.

Tennessee Night! Anna and I made food
that represented Tennessee for all our study
abroad and Aussie friends to enjoy!

4) Do something familiar


If you run while you’re at home, go hit the road and go for a run! Maybe you need to watch an episode of your favorite show. Just do something that you would do at home. If your host country has a favorite food from home, go get it. Something our study abroad group did each week was have someone different make dinner each week that represented their home. I remember I was so excited for Tennessee night (I'm originally from Tennessee), and me and my other friend from Tennessee made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and sweet tea for everyone. It was a great way to remember home while also experiencing other tastes from around the world each week, and also a fun way I got to introduce some of my culture to my Australian friends. 

5) Remember you won’t be abroad forever


You don’t have very long to make the most of your experience abroad. If you choose to sit around and be miserable the whole time, you will not enjoy your experience and will be wasting your time. Get out and remember that home will be there whenever you get back and that you only have a short amount of time in your host country!

My Australian housemates, who became part of my family
away from home and who were always willing to
take me on adventures!

6)  Have movie and tea nights


This was my own personal favorite way of dealing with homesickness. There was a group of us who would have movie and tea nights ALL THE TIME. If we were feeling homesick, it was nice to be able to talk about those feelings with others, and this group was always there for that. My housemates also had movie nights occasionally, and it was always fun to chill with them. Even though they were not studying abroad, I know they played a huge factor in helping me deal with my homesickness.


Whatever you do, do not give in to homesickness and let it consume you. It’s ok to talk about your feelings, but make sure your homesickness is not the only thing you talk about! Use your support system of new friends to help you through the tough times!

Monday, October 13, 2014

5 Stages of Studying Abroad as Told by Bease!

I remember at my pre-departure orientation before heading abroad, we talked about the stages of studying abroad. Now, I don't remember if the 5 stages I am using for this blog are the exact ones used in my pre-departure orientation, but I know it was something along these lines. And all of these phases were very real phases for me and several of my other friends. I can't tell you how long you will stay in each stage, or if you will actually go through each stage, but what I can tell you that you will have different emotions associated with your experience throughout your time studying abroad. With the help of my memory (which, is actually pretty terrible), friends, and some online resources you can find at the bottom of this post, here are the 5 Stages of Studying Abroad as told by Bease!

1) The Honeymoon Phase

The differences in trees amazed me during
my Honeymoon Phase!
In this stage, you are really excited about everything! This phase might start before you even leave home and can continue once you arrive to your destination. You're going to be fascinated and just so excited about your new life. You'll want to share it with everyone back home and think your life couldn't be better! 

As I was walking to the mall one day with my Australian housemates, I remember seeing my first kangaroos in a field. I cannot even explain to you the excitement I had, and my housemates thought it was the funniest thing ever. They told me I would soon come to view kangaroos as I view deer in the US, and that it was just because they were so new to me. I can't honestly say I ever got to the point where I would not get giddy with excitement when seeing kangaroos (which was all the time), my housemates were noticing my honeymoon phase tendencies in how excited I got about small differences between what I had known for 22 years and what I was experiencing abroad. 

2) The Loneliness and Homesickness Phase

After my first couple weeks abroad, I began feeling homesick.  I had left my Resident Assistant (RA) position to study abroad, and I really started feeling homesick when RA training pictures started bombarding my Facebook.  I was confused because just a few days before, I felt like I was on top of the world.  However, I also remembered all the warnings I kept getting that I would hit a phase of loneliness (I honestly didn't think homesickness would happen for me).  For me, I found myself really having to push myself to go hang out and make new friends, and I found it really hard to adjust to some of the differences I was facing in my host country. 

3) The Adjustment Phase

This is the moment where you're starting to be less uncomfortable with changes you have been facing during your experience, but you're still not thinking of this new place as a home.. You're finding yourself going along with the new customs of your new culture, but you're still just not very sure. You could very well still be feeling some homesickness during this phase, but maybe it's less intense. I remember after I had been in Australia for about a month, I was in a shopping mall with some of my housemates and I thought to myself "Ok, I can handle this until December. I'll be fine." I was beginning to be more comfortable with things, but was still looking forward to December. 


A picture from the beach weekend when I started
to think of Australia as 'home.'

4) Acceptance

This is the point where you begin thinking going 'home' may be difficult because, well...You feel like you are home! You have adjusted to new cultural customs you have found during the first few phases, and you feel comfortable with them. You have finally come to accept how your life is in the moment, and you're not particularly idealizing life in either your home or host country. You are just doing the thing called life and enjoying it, and you feel relaxed and secure in your new 'home.' For me, this came in the middle/later September. I had gone on a beach weekend trip with some of my friends, and something hit me where I started dreading going home, because I felt like I was home. 

5) Reverse Culture Shock

This was actually something that affected me MUCH more than I ever thought possible. I found it very difficult to adjust back to the American school system, on-campus/RA life, and not being constantly surrounded by such a diverse friend group. I loved seeing my old friends, but it was strange because I had changed during my time abroad, and they had changed since the 6 months that had passed since I had last seen them. It took me a good two months to re-adjust to the life I had known for 22 years, which I still think is strange. You might feel lonely, and I always wanted to talk about my time abroad but wasn't sure how much detail others really wanted to hear. It's definitely an interesting experience to go through reverse culture shock!

I sometimes think the reason I had such a hard time returning back to the States was because studying abroad was the best 5 months of my life. I loved it all, and even during the phases of loneliness, I was learning about myself and a different way of life. Studying abroad truly changed my life in ways I could never imagine, and it's an experience I will cherish forever!

***My stages are based on a semester long program, and stages may vary greatly if you are on a 2 week or even month long program.***

Additional Resources:

Monday, October 6, 2014

10 Packing Tips

Sometimes, packing for even a short trip can be a challenge. So, packing for a study abroad experience that could be 4 or 5 months can seem downright impossible. The good news is, it can be done! It doesn’t mean it’s the easiest thing in the world to do, but here are some tips to make your life a little easier when getting ready to leave!

1) Pack in advance

Do not wait until the night before or even two nights before. I started about two nights before I left and it was a mess. I would advise start packing about a week or so in advance. That way, you have time to get anything from the store you might want and to change your mind a few times until you feel you have exactly what you want. 

2) Pack half the clothes you think you’ll need

I packed my suitcase with everything I wanted, then took about half of what I had packed out. This is what a friend suggested I do, and I was extremely glad I used this strategy. There were still things I never even wore for my 5 months abroad.

3) Bring clothes for a variety of weather

Even if you are going somewhere that is typically warm, you may experience at least a few chilly days, and you'll want your favorite jacket. If you do any traveling while abroad, you may encounter different weather and you'll want to be prepared.

4) Think about what you will acquire while abroad

You are going to come back with stuff you have acquired - clothes, books, souvenirs, etc. Be sure you leave room for those things. I took my bedding with me in a space bag and then left that with my Australian roommate when I left, which created a lot of extra space for coming back home. I also initially packed toiletries and then left all that in Australia (except for small bottles in case I missed a flight or something). 

5) Weigh your bags

You don't want to be charged an overweight fee - baggage fees are expensive enough without adding an overweight fee! Be sure you look into the baggage fees and policies for your airline and flight.

6) Think about how you will carry your luggage

Have a strategy in mind for how to carry everything you are taking. It can be difficult to carry so many bags through an airport, train station, bus station, etc, so think about this before and maybe even test it out if you’re really worried about carrying everything. 

7) Pack a good carry-on bag

Luggage can and does get lost. Be sure you pack a carry-on with essentials to get you through for at least a couple nights. Clothes, toothbrush, toiletry, phone charger, money, etc. Luckily, my luggage got lost on the way BACK from studying abroad, so I had all my clothes at home that I hadn't seen in 4 months, but the moral is...Luggage can and does get lost (or, as I said, it likes to take a vacation without you). 

8) Pack a smaller bag for traveling around

You might have the chance to travel around your host country/continent during school breaks, so you'll probably want a smaller bag to pack for that. I had a duffel bag that was pretty large, but I thought it was convenient because I could just not fill it up and then squish it into small car spaces if needed. 

9) Pack an extra source of money

I luckily decided to get a credit card right before I studied abroad, just in case. About a month before I came home, my debit card information was stolen, and I had to cancel my debit card. My bank would not mail a new card internationally, so I literally had to rely on my credit card. So, be sure to have a back-up method of money.

10) Pack photos or letters from home

If you're going to be gone for a while, you might experience homesickness. Having something comforting from home can help with this. I took a few photos I used to decorate my room, and I took a few letters from friends just to have with me for those moments of homesickness.


Packing can be hard, and no matter how hard you try, you might forget something. Don't worry too much, you'll be able to buy things once you arrive in your host country if this happens. One of my most valuable lessons in studying abroad was how to go with the flow and be flexible - two qualities that have helped me in life even after studying abroad!