Studying abroad during COVID-19

Studying abroad during COVID-19

Going abroad can be scary especially If you have never been outside of the country, but it was the best time I have ever had, although it was short. My name is Erick Lojano-Quispe, currently I am a rising Junior with a Major in Civil Engineering and a Minor in Italian. I went abroad for the spring semester during the 2019-2020 academic year. Syracuse makes it really easy to apply for visa, you just fill out some forms and they care of it and help you through the process.

One challenge you are going to come across is packing, what am I supposed to pack, how much am I supposed to pack? Well, you pack your essentials, medication, clothing, travel toiletry (you will be able to buy some there). How much clothing depends on how much laundry you want to do, and also keep in mind if you want to pay extra for luggage. I did not pay extra and I fit a week and a half’s worth of clothes and I still was under the weight capacity. I did laundry every week because the host families air dry clothes, so it takes a day or two to dry.

Speaking of host families, most of you applying will probably stay with a host family, I had the pleasure of staying with two different families due to the first host having a family situation. My experience with the host were each different, but each still provided a rich Italian lifestyle.

I know for many, a challenge is financially being able to afford studying abroad. I thought the same, but Syracuse provides a variety of scholarships and financial aid to alleviate the financial impact. A scholarship that helped me was the Gilman Scholarship. The Gilman Scholarship is an undergraduate program for U.S. citizens of limited financial means to enable them to study abroad. What is so great about the Gilman Scholarship is that the scholarship money goes directly to you, so you can use to pay off some financial expenses or use it as spending money to travel more, to purchase local items and food abroad.

As many of you know, or can assume, the academic spring semester of 2019-2020, was when the Covid-19 situation started picking up pace, it was also at this time where it became serious situation in Europe, specifically in Italy. Syracuse responded accordingly and suspended the program and advised all the students to book a flight for home, of course many students had many questions specifically, financial questions. Syracuse reimbursed the flight leaving Florence. Originally the students were provided two options, to either return to main campus after the spring break or switch to online classes. Of course, main campus Syracuse switched online classes as well, so most if not all of the abroad students were still in our abroad classes. One issue you might think about abroad classes going online would be the time zone difference, however, many professors accommodated the students by uploading power points, uploading videos, and provide the whole day for exams and quizzes since they realized that many students lived in different time zones.

I enjoyed exploring Italy, and I have so much left to see. I definitely will visit again one day.

Erick Lojano-Quispe

Syracuse Florence Center

Why Strasbourg was the right fit for me

I’m Blake and I’m a triple major in political science, history, and citizenship and civic engagement (Class of ‘22). I studied abroad Strasbourg, France the second semester of my sophomore year of college, it was the most engaging and the most enjoyable three and half months of my college career (thanks to Miss Rona)! I’ve always wanted to travel the world since my Uncle shared his stories of traveling the world during his twenties. Syracuse Abroad’s program is world-class and provided everything you could imagine and more!

Originally, I was dead set on going to the Madrid program, I had friends in Spain, and I’d taken Spanish in high school. However, a political science professor encouraged me to look into the Strasbourg program because of its classes. After learning more about the program through abroad fairs, I was drawn to the idea of host families, its location towards the middle of Europe and learning a completely new language, culture, and history.

strThe Syracuse Strasbourg program itself features a signature seminar that takes you through several countries with your fellow abroad peers. It is a wonderful opportunity to get to know everyone and led to my entire group becoming close and friendly. I still talk to my friends from the program today!! Other courses at the Strasbourg Center took students to various parts of France, the Council of Europe, or places within Strasbourg. There are weekend programs that are free (included in the initial cost) around the Alsace area that the program offers. I highly recommend these programs, you will see a fantastic castle, eat incredible cheese fondue, and have exquisite cuisine. The staff is incredibly friendly and becomes part of your abroad family, if you need ANYTHING, don’t hesitate to ask from them.

As far as actually living in Strasbourg, you are paired with a host family. The housing coordinator, Mick Hardenberg, does a wonderful job and I couldn’t have been happier with my host family. I grew incredibly close with my host mother as she introduced me to her friends and family, took me to different cities within the area, and celebrated birthdays! I also had another abroad student from a Russian program with me. His name was Igor and he practically became a member of the abroad program by the time we had to go home.

Of course, there were also plenty of opportunities to travel on your own or with a few of your friends. I got to visit my friend who lives in Paris and works at Disneyland Paris. I went to Zurich, Switzerland with a large group from the program, (and they don’t lie, Switzerland is crazy expensive)! For spring break, I traveled to Athens, Rome, and Marrakesh. Visiting all the different historical sites and even another continent, was truly an experience that is unrivaled by any other in my life.

Overall, studying abroad is an opportunity that can never be replaced, it teaches you how to be a global citizen, approach life with more empathy, at times pushes you out of your comfort zone, establishes friends all over the world (use hostels!), and makes you a more curious individual! Just approach the experience with an open mind, the rest will follow.

Blake Moyer

Syracuse Strasbourg

Adjusting to life in Madrid

Growing up in a Vietnamese household showed me how valuable it is to know different languages. Knowing another language allows us to interact with more people and helps expand our knowledge on cultures/traditions other than our own. I began studying Spanish in high school and wanted to continue to develop my skills by pursuing a minor in college. I’m so thankful to have been able to spend four great months in Spain. I had the opportunity to travel to various cities in Spain from the coastline (Cabo de Palos) to the center (Madrid) and there’s a piece of my heart in every city. Similar to how we encounter different accents, foods, and traditions in various parts of the U.S, Spain’s different regions offer a variety of traditional foods, drinks, and traditions.

Signature Seminar:

Scuba, seas, and sardines! The signature seminar I attended was Marine Ecology. I wasn’t knowledgeable on the topic of marine life and being environmentally friendly until after this seminar. Monica and Amelia, our two advisors, were so passionate about marine ecology. Not only that but we also got scuba certified. After our lectures, we would go on dives to learn about the marine life we discussed. It was a wonderful experience and if you love to swim, I highly suggest this seminar. During this seminar, we swam in the Mediterranean Sea, tried traditional gastronomy such as sardines, and even crossed the border to visit Morocco. An unforgettable experience in a beautiful environment. Also, don’t forget to pick up after yourselves, the sea needs our help to stay the beautiful blue it is.

Academics:

Before actually arriving in Madrid, I decided I was going to take four Spanish courses. Although it was tough, it was the right decision. Through my Mujeres en España, Modern Spanish Art, De Madrid al Cielo, and Spanish grammar classes, I learned so much about the history of Spain. The topics discussed in class gave me opportunities to talk about them at home with my host mom. She was more than happy to explain concepts I didn’t understand and we bonded over the works of art I saw at the different museums. Living with a host family was the best decision I’ve made and I still keep in contact with her today. As with any experience, you get out as much as you put in. The language barrier is hard and the host families know this. My host mom would correct me when I used the wrong words and at times I would describe a word I didn’t know and she would then teach me.

Diversity and Inclusion:

In terms of diversity, Spain is very diverse. The only problem that arose was when I would walk, people would shout at me “china.” This is the word for Chinese in Spanish. Assuming someone’s demographics occurs often around the world and people can’t always tell different ethnicities apart, this occurs in Spain as well. My number one tip for this is not to get offended quickly, but to be patient with people and if you have time and want to, you can share your background to politely correct them. In terms of gender, there are still very traditional roles in a household in Spain. From my women in history class, I learned about the progression Spain has made. Cat calling would occur while we walked the streets, but I have never encountered anything worse than that. Remember to be respectful and strong in your words if you don’t agree with someone’s actions towards you and say “No.”

Involvement:

I worked in the Office of Student Life abroad and it was super fun. Pilar and Horacio were the two employees I assisted and they were also great listeners. The Madrid staff is so kind and they really will help you with whatever you need. I participated in the MadWorld program which I definitely recommend. From day trips to Salamanca and Segovia to attending a bullfight, this program helps you learn more about the culture and traditions of madrilenos. Another opportunity I had was interning at CPM MassPublic, a Spanish communications agency in Madrid. There, my role was to write blogs and articles for its magazine Welcome to Madrid. My supervisor Yolanda was very helpful and very understanding. She was open to any ideas I had and helped me improve my writing. By the end of the internship, I was published in its Winter edition. Blogs and articles would range from gastronomy to fashion. My time there was extremely valuable.

I often blink and wonder if my time abroad was real. How can someone grow so much and learn so much in a mere four months. I would go back to Spain in a heartbeat because of the great people I met. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, don’t be afraid to try new things, and don’t be afraid to take on new adventures by yourself. Time abroad is so limited that we miss out on things we wanted to do. Make your own timetable, explore the different areas of Madrid and regions of Spain. The weekend trips to different countries are memorable and very fun, but learning about your host country is also important and worthy of your time. Being in Madrid opened my eyes to a whole new environment and showed me how each culture is unique. I realized my passion is to use communications to foster community. Although the world has billions of people on it, we can always connect with someone.

Michelle Truong, 2021

Syracuse Madrid Center

Public Relations and Marketing Management

Studying abroad: From a dream, to reality

Hi! I’m Shannon and I’m a senior duel majoring in Sociology and Public Relations. I went abroad to Florence in the fall of my junior year and it was by far the best semester of my college career (and probably the best three and a half months of my life!). Ever since I was little, I’ve been in love with the idea of traveling the world. So, when it came time to choose a college, a top-tier study abroad program was number one on my list of requirements. I can say will full confidence that Syracuse was the right choice for exactly that!

Because I’ve always loved traveling, and have always dreamt of study abroad, trying to choose from all the diverse abroad programs offered at Syracuse seemed like an impossible decision for me. I started attending the abroad fairs and talking to my academic advisers about my plans to go abroad the second I got to campus, but when junior year rolled around and it was time to make a decision I still felt overwhelmed. I was torn between the London program because there are some classes offered at the London center that could count toward my Newhouse major, and the Florence program because the opportunity to experience the culture, art, and history of Italy really interested me.

Obviously, I ended up choosing the Florence program, and it’s the best decision I ever made! The language barrier, cultural differences, and chance to live with a host family are some of the aspects of my semester abroad that most challenged me; however, I know that those are also the things that taught me the most about myself, and helped me grow as a person. The language difference and host family experience specifically were aspects of the Florence program that initially scared me and made me seriously consider choosing the London program instead. But, looking back, I wish I could have told myself not to be worried about those things because they’d end up being some of the best parts of my abroad experience!

Being worried about living in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and living with a family you’ve never met is perfectly reasonable, and it’s something that almost every student is nervous about before they go abroad. But seriously, take it from an abroad alum, don’t let that fear choose your abroad program for you! You will have an absolutely amazing experience and you’ll look back and laugh at yourself for being so stressed over those things. I’m SO happy I chose to study in Florence, and I know if I had let my fear of the language barrier and living with a host family dictate my experience, I never would have learned or grown as much during my time abroad as I did. At the end of the day, every single abroad program offered at Syracuse is an amazing opportunity to expand your horizons, experience a new culture, and challenge yourself to try new things. You will have a once-in-a-lifetime experience regardless of where you go, so choose the program that speaks to your heart and just take the leap! I promise you won’t regret it.

Shannon Bozman ’20

Florence Center, Fall 2018

Finding my religion in Madrid

Hola! My name is Ariel Hylton and I recently graduated in the Class of 2020 at Syracuse University. I majored in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Spanish and studied abroad in Madrid in the Fall of 2018. I loved every second of abroad! I really wanted to be immersed in the culture and practice speaking and communicating with others in Spanish. I chose Spanish Identities for my seminar and loved exploring Northern Spain and a couple cities in Portugal and France. This seminar was carried out solely in Spanish and I gained so much from it. I also traveled to so many different countries. Being able to learn from locals and their cultures was incredible. But I was still looking for more during my abroad experience.

As a Jewish woman, I was worried about going abroad. I was so used to celebrating the High Holidays with my family, friends and peers in a place I’m very comfortable going to and wasn’t sure if I’d ever find a similar community. However, I discovered KAHAL, an organization providing Jewish students with various Jewish experiences throughout the world.

Being invited into a new community may be scary and worrisome at first, but attending services for various Jewish holidays was the best decision I ever made. I attended services at a local synagogue in Madrid for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah. I met those who were also Jewish students studying abroad in Madrid, locals and individuals passionate about Judaism. In addition, the services were led in English and Spanish. Because I was fluent in Spanish, I was able to communicate with the other congregants and learn from them.

A local family also invited me into their home for a Hanukkah dinner. This was an experience and evening I will never forget. The family provided me with a delightful meal and included me in their own service. I truly felt at home. I remember going back to my host mom’s apartment and telling her how much I enjoyed spending the evening with that family. My parents were also thrilled to hear that I connected with other Jews.

I also loved learning more about what it’s like to practice Judaism in another country, especially in Spain. Toledo, a small city just outside of Madrid, is historically known for their Jewish community. I was able to visit Toledo during my time abroad, see various synagogues and discover how the Jewish people in this city practice Judaism.

My host mom in Madrid was always so willing to talk to me about being Jewish in Madrid and Spain in general. During the days when I left to go to High Holiday services, my host mom showed interest in my religious experiences the moment I walked through the door. I was able to teach her about my religion and she then shared a little about her own. Even though my own parents weren’t there to talk and spend time with me, my host mom always made me feel important as I celebrated these holidays in Madrid.

KAHAL and the experiences this organization provided me with truly enhanced my experience studying abroad in another country and city. I recommend KAHAL to any Jewish student planning on studying abroad. It really made me feel at home even when I was miles and plane rides away from my family and friends in the United States. Whether you’re traveling to Madrid, Paris, Prague, Shanghai or Sydney, KAHAL will connect you to immersive experiences in your local community! Check out KAHAL’s website for more information: https://kahalabroad.org

 

Ariel Hylton ’20

Syracuse Madrid

Adventures in Strasbourg

Eva KBonjour! My name is Eva Kamman and I’m a junior here at Syracuse studying environmental engineering. I studied abroad in the fall of 2018 at the Syracuse Center in Strasbourg, France. I chose this program for two main reasons. The first is that my family is French so being able to live there made me feel much closer to those relatives. In fact, in a weird way, it kind of felt like going home. The second was that I was able to take classes both at the Syracuse Center and at l’Institut national des sciences appliquées de Strasbourg (one of the premier engineering schools in France). Taking classes at INSA allowed me to regularly be in the same building as French engineering students and occasionally work with them. In one class, we had a few lectures where each SU undergraduate was partnered with an INSA graduate student to solve problem sets. While I was abroad, I took statics, electrical engineering fundamentals, calculus III, French IV, and I had an internship for credit.

When I went abroad, I definitely didn’t expect to hold an internship. However, the SU Center has a fantastic program that places interested students into positions around Strasbourg and I felt it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I was matched with a research professor at INSA and worked with him for a few hours each week in his student office where I was able to collaborate with his other student researchers. My work was focused on standardized precipitation evapotranspiration indexes and developing a method for calculating potential evapotranspiration in different climatic regions around the world. Being able to work with my advisor in a completely different setting than what I am used to was beneficial to both my academic and professional growth. Eva K

Though I’ve talked a lot about my academic experience so far, I am a strong believer that you shouldn’t go abroad just for the academics. Europe’s accessible transportation took me all around the continent – some notable places were Barcelona, Munich (for Oktoberfest!), and Greece. Each trip that I planned with my friends tested our organizational skills a little bit more. After all, I had always relied on my family to plan trips for me. Of course, there were the occasional flight cancellations or AirBnb mess ups, but we were always together and made the best out of whatever situation we were thrown in.

Studying abroad was probably the best decision I have made in my college career so far. I don’t think that I would be as successful either personally, academically, or professionally as I am today had I not taken advantage of the SUAbroad program. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! Merci beaucoup et bientôt.

 

Eva Kamman ’21

Syracuse Strasbourg

Becoming a local in Stockholm

Rachael ChurchHi! My name is Rachael Church and I studied abroad through a Syracuse Abroad World Partner program called DIS in Stockholm, Sweden during the Fall of 2018.

Though choosing a program seemed daunting at first because there were so many options, I discovered and became interested in DIS Stockholm because of the unmatched courses offered there. I am a Biology major with minors in Public Health and in Environment & Society, so finding programs with more than one or two courses that would fill the requirements I still needed was a challenge. In Stockholm, however, I didn’t have to put my academic trajectory on hold to have an amazing experience. I took two classes that counted toward my major requirements: Translational Medicine (my Core Course) and Immunology. I also took Epidemiology and Medical Ethics as two courses to fill my Public Health elective requirement, and Scandinavian Crime Fiction to complete my liberal arts core requirement. The learning experience was incredibly hands-on and collaborative, with small class sizes and “study tours” around Stockholm to talk to experts in each field. Before studying abroad, I was considering pursuing Epidemiology after graduation, but was unsure if it was for me and wanted to learn more about the applications of Public Health and its intersection with my other interests. Studying with DIS allowed me to get an inside view of what my potential careers could be and make informed decisions to narrow down my prospective career options.

Kayaking

Living in Sweden is similar to the US in some ways, but the parts that stand out and make it unique are what make it such a fun experience. Everyone commutes (on the cleanest public transportation I have ever been on) or rides bikes to work instead of driving. The city parks are always full of joggers with their dogs and dads taking their babies for walks in strollers. The sun may set early (around 3pm in the middle of winter), but Swedes have adapted to this and know how to stay happy, healthy and active, and make the most of the sunlight that they have. The easiest way I found to immerse myself in the culture was to go to new cafes in the different parts of the city in the afternoons or during my breaks from class to do my homework and have fika (coffee and a dessert). I would also stop by one of the many museums with friends or take a walk through a park. DIS is also really helpful when it comes to getting involved. Through the program, I signed up for a kickboxing class which I took once per week with other Swedish and international university students. I also joined a yoga studio, which was easy for me to do because though it was taught in Swedish, the vast majority of Swedes also speak English, so I could get personalized feedback when I needed it. Speaking simple Swedish phrases is also pretty easy to pick up once you set your mind to it, and you can take a Swedish Language course at DIS as one of your classes too. Another way I got involved and immersed was by joining DIS’s Outdoor Adventure Learning Community, for which a group of 7 DIS students (who all lived on the same floor of a student apartment building outside the city) would explore Stockholm every Tuesday evening. Throughout the course of the semester, we went on walks, took ferry rides, went bike riding, rock climbing, swimming, kayaking and ice skating, all of which were incredible experiences that I might not have had the opportunity to do otherwise. Since I lived in an apartment with other DIS students, I did not get the experience of living with a host family, although that is also an option. Since I still wanted to get the experience of being part of a Swedish family, I participated in DIS’s Visiting Host Family program, where I was assigned to a family that I met up with once every couple of weeks for dinner. I also made friends with other students who did stay with host families, and we would go visit them every once and a while as well. If you are willing to put yourself out there, DIS gives you endless opportunities to immerse yourself in the Swedish culture.

DIS group

Of course, one of the biggest reasons people want to study abroad is to travel. Through my Core Course at DIS, I had the opportunity to take a trip to London for a week for a long study tour. I also traveled to lots of cities within Europe with the friends I made through DIS including Copenhagen, Bergen, Berlin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Zurich, Florence, and Venice on weekend trips and breaks throughout the semester. Though Stockholm is more distanced from the rest of Europe and it’s not possible to just take a train everywhere, it is still more than feasible to travel and get the full European experience.

Studying abroad in Stockholm increased my sense of confidence in myself, taught me how to adjust new and unfamiliar situations, and introduced me to some of my lifelong friends. I was drawn to DIS through the offered coursework, but applied for the opportunity to study in a unique city without a ton of tourist traffic and with students from all over the US to better my ability to meet adventurous people. Though my time abroad has been over for a while now, I know I’m not done travelling and I am so grateful for the experiences I gained in Stockholm because they gave me the confidence I need to pursue other opportunities and live abroad in the future.

 

Rachael Church ’20

DIS Stockholm, Fall 2018