Tag Archives: life

Top 5 moments my study abroad year made me a stronger person

26 Oct
There are times in life that push you beyond your comfort zone. Those are moments that cross a line you’ve never stepped over before, the ones that break new and unfamiliar ground. While at the time you might feel overwhelmed, confused or that you’ll never see the light at the end of the tunnel, eventually you’ll cross the Rubicon and look over your shoulder at all the hurdles you’ve overcome. DSC02884

It’s those defining moments in life that have made me a richer, stronger and more accomplished individual and I’ve never gone through more of them than during my study abroad year in South Carolina.

Here are the top five moments that my study abroad year made me a stronger person:

Day one: saying goodbye

Saying goodbye to my boyfriend, my family and my friends before I departed for South Carolina was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Not only was I nervous about the prospect of flying to the USA alone and having to make a completely new life for myself, but I was terrified by the possibility that my trans-Atlantic absence would cause my cherished relationships to grow apart. 

If that momentous plunge into the unknown wasn’t enough to make my knees buckle at the airport, arriving in Columbia without any of my suitcases added an unwelcome logistical nightmare to my long-haul emotional exhaustion.

Battling against the worst case of the flu I’ve ever had

Two days before my new friends and I were set to depart for a weekend trip to Asheville, North Carolina, I woke up with a debilitating case of the flu. It turned out to be the worst case I’ve ever had to date—my body ached, my eyes were stinging, my head was searing and then ice cold and I was waking up shuddering and covered in sweat in the middle of the night.

The only time I left the flat was to traipse through South Carolina’s first batch of snowfall in decades to visit the doctors. When I got there, I had to stick a swab up my nostrils and pay $50 for Tamiflu, which turned out to make me vomit. Needless to say, I never made it to Asheville.

Post-Christmas homesickness

While I didn’t experience much homesickness during my first semester, when I returned to South Carolina after a brief Christmas in England, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was looking at my American surroundings with a British cultural appetite, just wishing I could curl up in a pub drinking mulled wine and eating mince pies with my loved ones at home.

No matter how incredible South Carolina was, I was still yearning for British home comforts and familiarity.

Contracting gastroenteritis in the Arizona desert

At the end of my study abroad year I decided to take a group tour through California, Arizona and Nevada with a group of 12 people I’d never met. By day three I contracted gastroenteritis, a common bug that causes the stomach and intestines to become inflamed. Anyone who has battled through it will have spent at least 24 hours projectile vomiting and running to the bathroom to cope with severe diarrhoea. DSC02787

Lucky for me, I contracted the notorious bug in the middle of a six-hour drive through the Arizona desert. No gas stations, no bathrooms, just a single road ahead surrounded by distant mountains and dust devils dancing along the horizon. We spent the afternoon stopping and starting the minivan as I launched myself out of the door to vomit on yet another helpless Joshua tree.

Having my laptop stolen in LA

When I returned to LA on the last day of my trip around the West Coast, raring to Skype home and tell my family and friends about all of my trekking tales, I came back to our hotel to discover that my laptop had been stolen.

While my new friends spent their last evening together exploring Hollywood and indulging in all-American food at the Hard Rock Café, I spent my night getting crime reference numbers at the LAPD station and calling home to try and find my laptop receipt.
While looking back down the road can be a painful trip down memory lane, revisiting these moments fills me with an immense sense of pride and gratitude. If it weren’t for my year in the States, I wouldn’t have learned that, despite everything, I have the inner strength and resolve to carry on when life gets tough.

These are the defining moments I talk about in job interviews. When an employer says “tell me about a time in your life when you had to use initiative,” I now have a bank of memories and experiences to draw from to demonstrate my energy, resilience and independence.

Above all else—isn’t that what studying abroad is all about?IMG-20140814-WA0021

This article has also been published by The News Hub and Verge Magazine

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What American freedom means to me

4 Jul

American freedom symbolises different things for different people. While the core principles of American Independence date back to 4th July 1776, people all over the world will have a different story to tell about what it means to be in the land of the free. As a British exchange student who spent my last year in South Carolina, I look back on my time abroad as one of the most carefree and joyful years of my life. As I sit in my computer chair sipping a cup of tea (pardon the positively dreadful stereotype) I reflect upon all the times I took American freedom for granted. In the red, white and blue spirit of Independence Day, here’s a Brits-eye view of what American freedom means to me.

American freedom makes dreams come true.

It’s dreaming about what it meant To Have A Dream. 10302743_10154160259315113_6254105797152374764_n

It’s dreaming about what the New York skyline looks like from 86 floors high.  1426487_10153485359020113_1408073646_n

It’s dreaming that you’re Alice Paul and the National Women’s Party picketing the White House for female suffrage. 1948214_10153963266205113_1941954637_n

It’s dreaming about what frat parties are really like. 1239815_10151927984546057_2122052212_n

It’s dreaming about the golden California coastline. 10382343_763896896965997_4746107802069694660_o

It’s dreaming about the greats from past and present. 10409757_10152120564822051_8781440310444325198_n

American freedom creates opportunity.

It’s learning how to rock-climb in Alabama. 1236936_10153741684220113_1446741469_n

It’s waking up in the morning and seeing your columns in the newspaper.viewpointsheader

It’s setting up a volleyball team with a group of internationals. 

It’s giving presentations about England in an American middle school.999819_743861552311694_607540598_n

It’s becoming South Carolina’s best student columnist 2013. Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 19.57.23

American freedom is variation.

It’s travelling through four states in 2 weeks. 10451170_10154288235710113_7210974914393426782_n

It’s having friends from all over the world, from all walks of life. 1275589_10153252282535313_266095435_o

It’s being friends with people who are nothing like you. 10464346_10152120568557051_5369498333485261182_n

It’s meeting a new person every day. 1396063_10153443813405113_1209170342_n-2

It’s learning that doing things a little differently is okay. 

American freedom is team spirit.

It’s a cheerleading squad seeing it through to the end. 

It’s stars and stripes on every corner. 10403494_10154288234910113_622862200614300605_n

It’s 80,000 people rooting for the same team. 

It’s a marching band 340 musicians strong. 1184972_10153197588895113_813629457_n

It’s standing on your feet for 4 hours straight. 

American freedom is hospitality.

It’s going to seminars at your tutor’s house.10245344_10154102100580113_5314905462739688092_n

It’s going to an American home for Thanksgiving. 

It’s staying with American friends for a week.1526144_10154171467375113_3136757778159249347_n

It’s feeling at home in every state. 10276974_10154160240240113_5798112630718242246_n

It’s being accepted for who I am. 

Tags: 1776, 4th July, , blog, celebration, Declaration of Independence, democracy, dream, Elvis Presley, England, , freedom, , Independence Day, , Martin Luther King, , states, , study abroad,

The ultimate to-do list for outgoing study abroad students

14 Jun

When I found out I’d been accepted to study at the University of South Carolina, all I wanted to do was find out about all the crazy, diverse and eye-opening opportunities I’d be able to get my hands on once I arrived. But standing in the way of all that excitement was a whirlwind of stress, in the form of visa requirements, bank transfers, phone calls, appointments with the study abroad office, and paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. It’s the first time in my life I’d seriously considered hiring a PA. I just wished I had a comprehensive checklist of all the things I had to do before that nerve-racking departure came creeping up behind me. Without further ado, here’s my attempt to provide exactly that for those of you lucky enough to have the adventure of your lives ahead of you. Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 18.21.32

  1. Book a visa appointment at your local embassy. If you’re studying abroad in a country that requires a visa, make booking your visa appointment over the summer holidays a top priority as the slots fill up fast. If possible, try and get a morning slot, as it means the waiting times in the embassy are likely to be shorter and backlog free.
  2. Unlock your phone. Go into your local network provider’s shop and request to unlock your handset for a small fee. It means that once you arrive in your host country, you will be able to buy and use a new sim card in your old device without having to fork out for a new phone.
  3. Keep receipts for major items that you’ll be taking abroad. If any of these items get lost, damaged or stolen during your time abroad, you’ll be able to claim for them on your insurance policy without having to worry about finding proof of purchase.
  4. Buy travel and health insurance. At some host universities, you are required to purchase the university insurance that is often expensive (USC’s insurance was over $800 a semester), but in most cases you are eligible to waive the policy and purchase your own. Start this process as soon as possible as it can be paperwork and email-intensive.
  5. Request a copy of your medical and vaccination history from your local doctor’s for a small fee. Most host universities require this in order to fully accept your place abroad. Don’t forget to get all outstanding jabs if required, too.
  6. If your study abroad year is not compulsory, submit your change of degree programme form to your parent school. Once I had been accepted to study abroad, my degree title changed from ‘English and History’ to ‘International English and History’, and my parent school needed to know in order to revise my graduation date.
  7. Notify student finance services that you are studying abroad so that you will have those all-important funds for the next year. With all those weekend trips ahead of you, you’ll need it. Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 18.22.48
  8. Enrol for modules at your host institution. If your year is on a pass/fail basis, think about trying something new while you have the freedom to do so without being penalized. Humanities students- it looks especially impressive on your CV if you choose to study something related to your host country or new local area.
  9. Let your bank know that you’re going abroad.
  10. If you already haven’t, get internet banking. It makes life a whole lot easier to manage and transfer funds when you’re on the other side of the world.
  11. If you don’t have a credit or debit card that will work free of charge while abroad, get a currency card. You can get these from travel agencies like Thomas Cook, and they allow you to load a temporary card with as much $$$ as you like, to tide you over until you get a bank account in your host institution.
  12. If there is a networking event at your home institution- GO TO IT. I met all of the other Leeds students studying at USC when I went to mine, and we remained friends for the whole year.
  13. Sort out accommodation in your host country. If you are going to be automatically enrolled for housing in university halls, start thinking about whether you’d like to be on campus, and whether you’d like a roommate. Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 20.00.04
  14. Submit disability and health forms. If you have any major disability or health complications your host institution must know about this ASAP.
  15. Find out about student counseling services at your host institution. Should anything untoward happen, or you receive bad news from home while you’re abroad, you’ll know where to go if you need extra support.
  16. Look into bursaries, scholarships and competitions that offer money for outgoing study abroad students. From the perspective of an ex-study abroad student who has just come home to depleted funds, take my word that you’ll be glad for all the financial help you can get.
  17. Check your passport validity.
  18. Book your outgoing flight. If you can avoid it, don’t book your return flight for the end of the semester or the year. If you do, you’ll be consigned to a definite end date when many of your new friends will be making exciting travel plans. In addition, consider flying over a couple of days earlier than your move-in date and staying in a hotel. This is useful if you’d like some time to recover from jetlag and open a bank account overseas before orientation sessions begin.
  19. Check baggage allowance. If you are going for the year and would like to take two suitcases, an extra one usually costs around £80-£100.
  20. Take your railcard, bus passes, Oyster card and any other travel passes with you. You might need these when travelling home for Christmas, or at the end of the year.
  21. Get to know your study abroad mentor from your host institution over the phone or via email. Getting to know a real person on the other side of the world who is there to help with the transition is an indispensable way to reduce pre-departure anxieties.
  22. Register with your home university. Even though you’re going abroad, you still need to renew your registration for the upcoming year at home.
  23. Pay outstanding library fines. You’ll be depressed enough coming home at the end of the year without having to come home to library debts.
  24. Collect and print evidence of your return home. Many embassies and airport authorities like to see (and require) evidence that you will be returning home at the end of the year. This could be job forms, your registration certificate from university or anything that states you won’t be graduating for another year.
  25. Scan all paperwork and print 2 copies. Leave one set with someone you trust at home, and take the other set with you.
  26. If you are going to America, and like drinking tea, take a box of teabags with you. The strongest tea you’re going to find out there is Twinings, and that’s practically tea-flavoured milkshake. Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 18.22.39
  27. Download the app ‘1 Second Everyday’ and document your time abroad. Every second will be unforgettable, and you’ll want to re-live the experience when you return home.
  28. Start a blog. It’s a cathartic way to document your study abroad experience and the perfect opportunity to enhance your CV. Blog about your fears, hopes and expectations. Blog about the locals. Blog about sorority life. Blog about culture, art and about people. Blog about blogging if you have to.
  29. Think about what you want from the year. Some people see the year as an opportunity to work as little as possible, and party HARD. Others see it as a chance to radically transform their CVs, integrate within a new culture, enhance global employability, and get involved with extra-curricular life. What will you regret not doing the most? Screen Shot 2014-06-14 at 19.57.23

Tags: 1 Second Everyday, , , blog, embassy, England, , , list, , paperwork, party, , , study abroad, suitcase, Thomas Cook, , visa

Top ten life lessons learned while studying abroad

13 Jun

I recently returned from my exchange year at the University of South Carolina. Study abroad years are notoriously well known for being similar to gap years, placing emphasis on immense personal development rather than academic growth and attainment. For this reason, my past year, and those of many other students around the world, have been judged on a pass/fail basis. So after the party’s over, the beer pong tables are a mess, camera rolls are brimming with glitzy pictures, friends have parted ways and events of the past year start to feel like an idyllic dream- is there anything left behind? Here are my top ten deep and meaningful life lessons from the past year that thrust a confident ‘yes’ in the face of that all-important question.

10. If you like or love a person, let them know. Life’s too short to be shy. DSC02971

9. Life without laughter is no life at all. Screen Shot 2014-06-13 at 11.21.52

8. Money can buy you nice things, but some nice things are nicer than others. Would you rather buy yourself more clothes, or save up for a weekend trip in the great outdoors with your friends? Screen Shot 2014-06-13 at 11.23.41

 7. There’s a fine line between assertiveness and confrontation- but it’s an important one. Assertiveness- especially for young women- is crucial to holding your head above water. DSC02996

 6. Life is not meant for spending every day in the gym. When you reflect back on life, will you be happy that you had a hot body, or that you read books, travelled, got outdoors and spent time with loved ones?  DSC02878

 5. Alcohol is not necessary for a good time. When you find friends that make you laugh until your stomach hurts, being drunk isn’t important. Screen Shot 2014-06-13 at 11.22.06

 4. You can be friends with people even if you’re completely different. Having made friends from all over the world this year, I’ve come to realise that the best friendships are the ones that make me see the world in a new light. Screen Shot 2014-06-13 at 11.21.14

 3. Sometimes there isn’t a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’ decision- there’s just the decision that, on reflection, that will leave you with the least regrets. Screen Shot 2014-06-13 at 11.21.25

 2. People are the best thing in life. Screen Shot 2014-06-13 at 11.51.08

 1. Martin Luther King once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” It may not feel like it at the time, but the hardest times in life are learning experiences that come to define the residue that is left behind after life’s luck and fortune have evaporated. Screen Shot 2014-06-13 at 11.26.04

Tags: , , gap year, happiness, laughter, learning, lessons, , love, overcome, personal development, , study abroad,

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