Category: Uncategorized

First Impressions

My first day in Stockholm was filled with beautiful sites and sleep deprivation. I arrived at the airport at 7:00 in the morning and was met by DIS in arrivals where they led us to a cafe with plenty of croissants and drinks for all the students. After waiting about an hour for more students to arrive, we were bussed to our housing. We were given the rest of the day to unpack and settle into our apartments, meaning it was a fight to stay awake for the rest of the day. The first thing I was told about my housing was that we were lucky to live there. Known as the hipster area, Sodermalm is filled with restaurants, parks, and beautiful water views. I was amazed at how pretty everything around me was!

I was a little hesitant about moving to a city, especially in a different country. I was worried about public transportation, being surrounded by another language, and living in a crowded area. I was happy to find out on my first day that the train station and many stores and restaurants were within walking distance! And there were many different options! The train lines were super easy to navigate, and I found myself exploring other stations whenever I could. On my first day, I was definitely not prepared to see the lack of written English. For some reason, I had thought English would be written on public signs or at stores and restaurants. It was hard to order food when you couldn’t read what it was! I felt intimidated by all the Swedish speaking people around me, but I quickly learned that almost everyone in Sweden speaks fluent English and are willing to help out if you ask!

Learning New Things

The only things I had heard about Sweden were basic: Ikea, ABBA, meatballs, and cold weather. I quickly learned how little I knew about the country I was going to live in for the next four months. First of all, the Ikeas in Sweden are not like the Ikeas in the US, but there are specialized stores, so you have to make sure you are going to the right one! I also learned that the food in Sweden is very multicultural–I spent my first few days eating falafels and pad Thai, and there are restaurants of every type all within walking distance. I quickly learned to not assume the weather in Stockholm would be cold–the temperature reached up to 80 degrees, and each person I met told me it will not get very cold until February!

The one thing I was super excited to be right about was ABBA. Not only is there a museum in Stockholm, but during my first day of orientation, we had an ABBA singalong! After singing Dancing Queen with 100 other people, I finally felt excited to take on city life in Stockholm!

One thing Swedes take very seriously is afternoon coffee, which they call fika. After only a few days, I learned to appreciate it a lot! Fika is a time for people to get together and take a break from their day, while eating amazing pastries and coffee. The most popular fika pastry is cinnamon buns, topped with grains of sugar.

Island Views: My Favorite

Stockholm is made up of many small islands, connected by bridges. This means there is water everywhere! One of the first things I wanted to do was explore the parks and trails along the water. There are always boats, kayaks, and people enjoying the outdoors! During an evening walk with some friends, we found some rocks that gave us an amazing view of the island across from us! Sitting on the rocks and watching the sun set over the city was one of my favorite things I have done so far.

Hola! My name is Jordan Holmes, and I am a junior at Wofford College majoring in Spanish and Psychology with a minor in Religion. This blog will where I document my semester abroad in Cuzco, Peru.

So many countries, where to go?

As a Spanish major, I already knew I was going to spend a semester abroad, but with so many Spanish-speaking countries, it was difficult to decide where to go! In my previous Spanish classes at Wofford, we talked a lot about globalization and the importance of intercultural competence. When I saw this program in one of the catalogs during a meeting with the Office of International Programs, it immediately stuck out to me. The program I will be a part of emphasizes indigenous peoples and globalization and the maintenance of distinct cultural groups despite increasing interconnectedness. I will be studying Quechua, one of the native languages of Peru, as well as conducting my own independent study project on how indigenous communities in Peru are transforming in a rapidly changing global society.

Excited but also Nervous

Obviously, I am really excited to be spending a semester in Cuzco, Peru because it is truly an incredible opportunity. I have heard nothing but positive things from friends who have been to Peru before. I’ll be living in a city that is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World—who wouldn’t be excited about that? On the other hand, I am also feeling quite nervous. It is not travel that really concerns me; this year alone I have already spent two weeks in Morocco and a month in Greece. I am mostly worried about the language barrier. I have a decent grasp of reading and writing in Spanish but speaking and understanding is a different story. I know that being immersed in the language will help tremendously though. There is really no better way to learn, so I am excited to see how much my Spanish abilities improve over the next three and a half months.

Expectations

I am really looking forward to living with a family in Cuzco because it will be very helpful not only for practicing my Spanish but also for allowing me to experience the local culture in a less touristic way (and for getting homecooked meals!). I am also excited about the travel I will get to do within Peru including hiking Machu Picchu, visiting Lake Titicaca, and exploring the Amazon. Aside from the many scheduled classes and excursions already planned for me, I also hope to get involved with a local church in Cuzco and learn more about what religion looks like for Peruvians.

This time next week, I will be in the middle of my flight from Atlanta to Peru—I have to start packing soon! I will miss being among the comfortable Wofford community, but I know that this semester will be so memorable and impactful. I can’t wait to start my journey!

Mambo! My name is Vera and welcome to my blog, All Things Tanzania. For the next four months, join me as I learn Swahili, experience life in a village, and study courses related to community development at Ruaha University College.

In one week, I will be boarding a flight to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. My program will actually take place in Iringa, Tanzania, however we will spend one week in Dar es Salaam, the country’s old capital, for orientation. The new capital of Dar is Dodoma. It is unconventional for a student to choose a program in Africa, but I chose to take advantage of an amazing opportunity and travel to a part of the world wherein I’d probably never be able to visit again.

I first started looking at study abroad programs when I was a freshman in college (early start). I thought I had my heart set on going to Haifa, Israel for an international relations program, however, sophomore year, I decided to switch to a double major: B.A. in History and B.A. in International Affairs. This altered my schedule and pushed my ability to study abroad until the fall of my senior year, which I chose to do.

Why Tanzania?

When I first visited the Office of International Programs, they suggested various programs that were located in Europe; I told them that I was certain on going somewhere in Asia or Africa. My searches were limited to programs in those two continents and after scrolling a few times I saw a program called “Community Development, Language, and Culture, in Iringa, Tanzania.” The classes offered included Community Development in East Africa, Educational Issues in East Africa, and History of East Africa. I felt my heart flip three times over and instantly knew this program was the one for me! Community development is in the realm of my career aspirations. I also knew that these classes in this country would bring about new challenges and once in a lifetime experiences, and that’s exactly what I wanted in a study abroad program.

Even better, this program also includes a one-month village stay. During this village stay, all the students will be working on a research project– we all have a research question about community development that we will attempt to answer based on information gathered from staying in the village and talking to the villagers. We will also volunteer with a local Non-Government Organization! This part of the program is really what solidified my decision, considering my passion for NGOs.

Most Challenging Part: My Parents.

The most challenging part of this whole process was getting my parents to agree to the fact that their daughter would travel all the way to Tanzania and stay there for four months. My mom constantly worries about the health risks, meanwhile my dad excessively reads news about Tanzania and its surrounding countries. Regardless of their fears, I am lucky enough to have their support for my decision to study in Tanzania! My parents know that I have a passion for community development, especially since I plan to get a Masters degree in Community Development after I graduate. My career goals include nonprofit management and the dream is to work for UNICEF, so I hope to gain a lot of skills and learn research methods from this program. 

Traveling Anxiety?

I am not that worried about adjusting to the city, or way of life (i.e. we will be taking bucket showers and hand-washing our own clothes). I grew up in the Philippines, and also have been spending my summer here, and am very used to protecting myself from mosquitoes, cold bucket showers, (sometimes) washing my own clothes. However, since I will be spending the next four months away from any family, I do home that this experience makes me more independent and strengthens my ability to adapt to my circumstances and surroundings. I welcome all the self-growth that Tanzania is willing to provide! I am also looking forward to the Tanzanian FOOD!

Around 8 days from now, I’ll land for the first time ever on the African continent. I haven’t started packing and I still have to find/buy a water filter… I have started my checklist though, so maybe tomorrow I’ll start packing..

For the readers who are not my mom and her Facebook friends, I’m Rashel Korte, a Junior at Wofford College. A (mostly) Accounting major who also dabbles in Spanish, Finance and International Affairs.

My first week at Wofford, I went to the Study Abroad office. I didn’t know where I wanted to go, when I wanted to go, or even what I wanted to study — I just knew I wanted to study abroad. I left the office with 10 different pamphlets from Copenhagen to Peru; I’m pretty sure I called my mom immediately after to talk excitedly about how I couldn’t wait to study abroad. For a mom who had just dropped her only daughter off on the other side of the country, I’m sure this was not a comforting conversation.

Why SIT Argentina?

I had never taken a language class until the mandatory, freshman, Spanish 101. I fell in love with the language; unfortunately, it was a one-sided infatuation as I was (am) terrible at Spanish. I realized pretty quickly that the only way I was going to gain any kind of practical fluency was by going somewhere where I would have no option other than to speak Spanish.

I chose SIT mainly because I really like the internship/research component. SIT allows their students to spend the last four weeks conducting independent research or interning with an organization. I’m a hands-on person, and I like being able to put my classwork to work on actual issues in the world. I don’t want to just be a collector of knowledge – I want to put it to work.

Ready to go?

Mentally and emotionally I am ready to go. Although I haven’t traveled out of the country very much, I have attended school 1,000+ miles away for two years. I know what it’s like to live in a place where I don’t know anybody and I’m out of reach of family. The hardest part for me will be being away from Wofford for the semester, I’ll miss the community that I’ve found there.

A wonderful family friend has insisted on speaking only Spanish to me this summer. Every time I see her I get a jolt of fear as I mentally brace myself for the conversation that’s about to follow. Throughout the conversation I make mistakes and accidentally speak in the preterit instead of the imperfect. I forget words. I get frustrated. By the end of the conversation, I’m reminded of how much I have to learn but I’m exhilarated because I’m one step closer to learning and grasping another language. I think this is how my study abroad experience is going to be. A little bit of fear of failure, many mistakes and confusion along the way, but in the end, an exhilarating experience that will have pushed me to try, to fail, and to keep trying.

Te veo pronto, Argentina!

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Hi there! My name is Sam and welcome to my page where I’ll be documenting my study abroad journey! The city I will be living in is Stockholm, Sweden.

Why I Decided to go Abroad

Traveling is not a stranger to me, in fact, my family and I travel a lot over the summers for fun! However, choosing to live abroad for a few months is a different experience. For me, the biggest deciding factor to spend a semester abroad was the opportunity. College is a time for exploring new things and it is the perfect time to learn how to live on my own. Another deciding factor was the program I decided to pursue. Since Wofford does not have any classes similar to the Forensic Psychology course I will be taking, I decided that pursuing education outside of Wofford was a good opportunity for me as well.

Like many others, I was concerned about being in a different country for an extended amount of time. I think my “epiphany moment” occurred during Interim this past year when I went abroad to Morocco. As part of the cultural experience, my class was paired off to live with host families in the Medina of Rabat. My host family included a mother and grandma who could not speak English. Communicating was challenging at times, and after the struggle I decided that if I could survive in a country where I cannot communicate, then I can definitely survive in a country that speaks English!

Why Sweden?

Choosing where to study abroad is a hard decision, but thankfully, there are people at Wofford who are there to help with that! The first time I went to meet with someone from International Programs, I walked out with about eight catalogs of possible programs and cities all over the world! Because I am a very indecisive person, having so many options overwhelmed me for a while.

In the end, I picked Sweden because of what I wanted for my education. As a Psychology and Anthropology/Sociology major, the DIS Stockholm program gave me the opportunity to take many classes in both of my majors. Also the Forensic Psychology course I will be taking is something I am interested in, but would not have the opportunity to explore if I stayed at Wofford. Language also influenced my decision to live in Stockholm. Other programs that appealed to me came with required language classes, which was something I did not want to take.

One thing about DIS that made me a little apprehensive was how little people at Wofford go through the program. I am the only student from Wofford going to Stockholm, and only two other students are going to the Denmark location of the DIS program. After seeing how many people were going to the same programs or same cities, I was a little worried about going to Stockholm alone. Having a familiar face would be comforting, but I think it would be a good opportunity to meet new people.

Thoughts, Concerns, and Goals

Going to a new school is very nerve-wracking, especially when it’s in a different country! I am nervous about taking unfamiliar classes, learning a big, new city with a large transportation system, and meeting new people. One thing that is very comforting is that all the other students in my program will be experiencing the same concerns so I know I am not alone!

My biggest concern just days before leaving for Stockholm is packing. How cold will it be in Stockholm? Is my winter clothes warm enough? D How many shoes do I need to bring? What can I survive without for four month? And most importantly, how will everything fit into my luggage?! Hopefully I don’t forget anything.

Through my experience abroad, I hope to explore new classes that will hopefully help my decisions for a future career. I also hope to get a taste of city life and master public transportation, since you don’t find much of that in Spartanburg! I also want to be more outgoing and explore as much as possible, whether it be around Stockholm, or other countries nearby!