Sorry for the delay but, as the title suggests, it is Finals Week here at the University of Stirling. And Finals really crept up on me. It was as if one moment I was living it up and exploring new things, and the next moment I am flung back into the reality that I still have work to do. So this week's entry will be short because I have to get back to work but I want to fill you in on the ins and outs of Finals abroad. Finals in Scotland are not too different from Finals in America. There is a week dedicated to them and you just show up and knock them out. However, the BIG difference is that, instead of a final being worth, say, 30% of your overall grade, your final could very well be worth upwards of 50% of your grade. I know a person who has a final worth 75% of their overall grade in the class. To say the stakes are kinda high is an understatement! This weight for finals means that Finals Week is a no nonsense study fest and the University imposes new rules before and during Finals Week to make sure that everyone can study. No parties are allowed on campus, No overnight guests, Noise must be at a minimum in all campus buildings and dorms, and all of these rules are strictly enforced. Compared to Stirling, SU's Quiet Hours are a heavy metal concert in a Firework Warehouse. I will say, I personally prefer the SU Finals system with lower weighting for finals. I don't like the idea that a single grade will completely make or break my entire semester in that class. But this is the point of studying abroad, making sure that you experience new ways of doing things in all facets of life, including education. I think this Finals week is going to be a very interesting experience and I think it will make me much more grateful for the Finals at SU by the time to week is over. Sorry for the delay and short entry, I really am trying to focus on doing well this week. Next week is, I believe, my final entry before I leave so I will lay out packing up and getting ready to go. See you then!
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Hello again. This week's topic is not one which I expected to every write about. The University of Stirling, as well as a vast majority of universities acorss the UK, have just begun experiencing a nation-wide faculty strike. This comes right at the end of the semester before final exams no less. This news was subtly dropped onto the student body about a week ago in an email but beyond that, formal news has been absent and the only info we got was from professors. This has been a shocking twist to my experience but I think I can try and find a way to use it as a means for further cross-cultural understanding. I discussed the strike at length with one of my professors and they explained how the unions operate in the UK and how they operate and act differently from unions in the US. The strike in the UK will only be held for a short period of time, as oppossed to indefinite strikes seen in the US. I found this sort of strange but I feel like understanding the differences could be an interesting way to cross-examine our political cultures and the frameworks of collective bargaining. This may sound very boring for the majority of people, but as a student of Public Policy and Political Science, I find it relatively interesting. So I guess the point I';m trying to make is that it is possible to find a cultural learning oppourtunity in almost anything, even the strange, infrequent, and potential inconvenient. I still don't know what the ramifications of this strike will be, whether my exams will go forwards as planned or if the strike will come to an early end. I'm not going to weigh in on the strike itself because I don't know enough about it. I just hope that the final weeks of my semester abroad move forward smoothly and that, even though the strike casts alot of doubt onto these last few weeks, I can find a way to learn from this unusual experience. I'm sorry this week's entry is short, with the strike I am trying to get in contact with my professors before they go completely off the grid and I don't have much time. Next week week will likely be about getting ready for final exams and preparing to say goodbye.
Once again I'm sorry for the lateness of this post. I dropped my computer and was having alot of technical problems but I managed to fix everything so I'm back in working order. This week's post is about GIFTS! When you go on your GO experience, you will no doubt be asked by family and friends to bring back gifts from your adventures. I am not the exception to this rule. And it is important to understand what you can bring back to the States, how much you can bring back to the states,, and how much money you are willing to spend in order to still afford the remainder of your trip. In my case being in Scotland and in close proximity to Ireland, I have been frequently asked to bring alcohol and wool products back into the US with me when I return. However, these being the staple products for sale, it is very easy to get overcharged or even scammed when trying to find quality products. This happens everywhere, not just in Scotland (It happened to me in Italy). It is important that when you are looking to buy gifts or even just something for yourself, you are vigilant and look for where the goods were made and you should look up common prices to make sure you aren't swindled. Once you have assured the quality and fairness, make sure you understand how much space you actually have to bring extra stuff back with you alongside what you brought. It is good practice to pack an empty bag when you leave to start your GO trip so when you buy things, you can pay for an extra bag to put on the flight. I know alot of people who didn't do this and now have to buy a new suitcase or duffel bag (which can be very pricy especially at the airports) in order to bring all of their gifts home. It can be very expensive to mail things back to the United States so it is better to pay for an extra check bag or carry-on than it is to ship bottles of whisky across the Atlantic. Lastly, make sure you know what you can take with you. As everyone should know, liquids are heavily regulated through airport security in the US. This is no different in Scotland and the rest of the EU. All bottles must be under 100ml if they are in your carry-on and you can only bring a maximum of 10 bottles. So, as is the case for me, make sure you plan out what liquids you are taking. If you are low on toothpaste at the end of the trip, throw it out. No matter how much liquid is actually in the container (and yes toothpaste, makeup, etc count as liquids), it will count toward your 10 bottle maximum. Make sure that you put the same amount of care and effort, or maybe even more, into packing to return home as you will packing to travel. Take time to research and understand the rules and regulations. ESPECIALLY, if you are bringing alcohol back to the US but are under 21. It is legal to do so just make sure you understand the regulations. I hope this helps and there are many other things which you need to account for when travelling to and from Scotland and the EU but this touches on many of the important pieces. So, if you plan on bringing gifts home to your family and friends, make sure you do it with the understanding of what that involves. It is easy to forget that something as simple as giftshopping can have a multitude of variables and ramifications while traveling. Thank you for reading this week and I will try and take better care of my laptop so I don't fall behind again. I'm just happpy it didn't break!
Hey Guys! This week, now that I'm closing in on my final month in Scotland, I want to focus on preparing for returning to school and making sure you get back in your groove as soon as possible when you return. Specifically, this past week I had to focus on registering for classes and I decided to pursue a leadership position in my fraternity, even though I am engaged abroad and it can be hard to focus on the future when there is so much going on around you. Regarding classes, I had to sit down and try and remember what the class structure would be like when I return to SU. Now that I have been in Scotland for well over two months, it took some time to re-enter the mindset to understand how I should schedule myself for when I return. I'm so used to a more lenient attendance policy and lesser workload that readjusting myself will be difficult at first but it's important that I focus on putting myself in the best position possible when I get back to the States. I had to put a considerable amount of time into going over the classes which are available this coming semester because I am not able to meet with my advisor and discuss my options. I had never really thought about how much time I would have to spend trying to setup my future schedule until the time came to get the work done. Second, I decided to pursue a leadership position in my fraternity. At first, I was hesitant about pursuing a position upon my return because I have been away for so long it I lacked confidence that I could take on that role. I had lost the momentum I had gained from my sucesses at SU. It took me a little bit of time to remember how well I had done at SU and really place myself in the mindset needed to feel confident that I could take on such an important role. But after some thought I really decided to try and pick up where I left off and get right back to work once I return. So I guess that's the point i'm trying to make. The GO experience is an amazing way to broaden your horizons as an individual and as a student, but it can also be a slight barrier to returning home at the level you once were at if you don't take the time to focus yourself. Don't let your time abroad kill your momentum as a student at SU. Use it as a launching point for further success. Overall, I think this was a very interesting dilemma which I had not anticipated but after some thought and reaching out to people back home, I think that my GO experience will be the perfect place from which to really gain some traction and bring myself to a new high as a student.
Hey Guys! Late entry this week because my flat has been having sporadic internet problems. This week I want to focus on how I have been trying to develop myself while abroad, mostly through trying to learn new skills and bettering myself. Specifically, I have taken my time abroad as an oppourtunity to begin working out and developing my culinary abilities. I think that being abroad is the perfect environment to try and cultivate some new passions and skills because it is a time of self-discovery and new experiences. My development started when I came to the random decision to start working out. I don't really know what prompted this sudden decision but I think it had something to do with the fact that people in the UK and Europe as a whole seem to be much more physically fit than the average American. Everyone is athletic and you will almost always see people out for runs or carrying gym bags across campus. I was kinda jealous but I guess jealousy is a good motivator for self-betterment sometimes so I have begun to try and stay in-shape as best I can. Now I've always been a skinny kid so I am not slamming supplements and dieting but I try my best to stay as active as possible with rudamentary workouts in my dorm or even just taking the long walk across campus and around the Loch every once in a while. My dream six-pack has yet to appear and likely won't for a long time but I definetley see working out becoming a part of my regular routine and that feels really good. It makes me realize how much easier it is to incorporate new activities into your schedule when you are thrown into a new environment. This change toward working out has fostered the development of my culinary abilities, my second point of personal development. I've always been interested in cooking and food but I've never been thrown into a situation where I am directly responsible for purchasing and preparing all of my food so this was the perfect oppourtunity to work on my culinary prowess. I'm not the next Gordon Ramsey or Grant Achatz but I have definetley discovered a revitalized interest in cooking and I have really enjoyed being able to experiement with different concepts that I think up while stocking up on food. I hope that both of these new hobbies will continue to be a part of my routine and I can't wait to bring them back to the US with me as some of the many changes I have undergone while abroad. Overall, I think that this GO experience is going to have long-lasting effects on me as a person well beyond even what I had initially expected. I can't wait to see whats next!
Hey Guys! Literally just got back from continental Europe last night so there is few hour delay on this post. My trip was awesome but I know I shouldn't turn this blog into a travel blog. So, I want to reflect on something that I have been developing over my entire GO experience, including my recent trip, and that is making friends while abroad. Making friends for some people is like breathing, it just kinda happens. For others, it can take a while to get comfortable around new people and actually develop a friendship. Now usually, I don't have a problem making new friends but I had some apprehensions because of the duration of my GO Experience. I felt that making meaningful friendships would be pointless or impossible because I was only here for a few months and I am meeting people from across the globe so keeping in touch would be difficult. But my recent trip kinda showed me how making friends abroad is a totally unique experience. Meeting people from around the world has really showed me a large amount of new perspectives and I have learned alot about countries I had known barely anything about. Usually, when making friends, you are meeting people from relatively similar backgrounds or places so there is alot of common-ground that you can relate and connect on. Becoming friends with international students is really unique in that you find a connection over the things that are different as opposed to the things which are the same. My favorite pasttime with some of my international flatmates is just comparing our countries and learning about all of the unique differences between where we grew up. Trying new foods, talking about accents, learning about different regions in different countries has closened our friendships because they have developed into learning expereinces. I think that this clearly emphasizes why the GO experience is so important and mandatory at SU. The experience isn't just beneficial because you get to experience a new country and culture. It's important because you gain a worldwide perspective from the people you meet. What I mean is that you don't just become experienced in a second culture, you gain experience on a worldwide level through your experiences and the people you meet. No matter where you go on your trip, you gain this global perspective. Overall, I think that making friends while abroad is not just important so you don't feel lonely in a new country. It is an amazing experience because you come to realize how much there is out in the world to experience that you haven't seen yet. This week's post is a little shorter due to my travel fatigue but I can't emphasize how important this message is. When you go abroad, don't just make friends for fun, make friends to learn.
Hey Guys! This week I'm writing my entry a few days early because I am taking a trip to mainland Europe tomorrow and I can't take my laptop. I promise I'll have some photos to show-off next week when I return. This week I want to go over my experience with Midterms while abroad. As I've mentioned in the past, it can be easy to forget that you aren't on vacation while Studying Abroad. Especially with a lecture style system with a limited workload, it can be very easy to lose track of your responsibilities as a student. However, this week I decided to go pedal to the metal with preparing for my mid-semester exams. Midterms in Scotland seem to be much less formal than they are in the United States, specifically SU. At SU it is easy to get swept up in the frantic hype when midterms roll around and it's time actually prove you've been paying attention. In Scotland, or at least at the University of Stirling, taking midterms is much less of a spectacle. The exams are still a huge portion of your yearly grade, even more than SU in fact, but they aren't exaggerated by professors or plastered all over dorm hallways. And, luckily for me, my extra preparation came in handy and I am feeling really confident with the way I performed. Despite the lack of spectacle, I took it on myself to work hard and do well so I could feel like I earned my upcoming trip. And I'm glad I took it seriously because alongside the lack of spectacle, a lack of information is also present around midterms. Information about what is on the midterm, how it's formatted, and how much it's worth is not a topic of conversation in lecture. You have to independently seek out this information by digging through the outline of each of your modules. As a person who is used to the near overbearing reminders about midterms, it caught me off-guard at first and it, honestly, stressed me out. I had to trust myself to find the information and make sure I prepared myself accordingly. Now that the process is done, I feel pretty good about it and how I did and I kinda appreciate how independent it forced me to be. The whole process made it necessary to hold myself accountable or I would have failed. It was a difference that I didn't really expect to see between Stirling and SU but it's the tiny differences which I find most interesting. Everyone knows about the major differences between Scotland and the USA but only people who have lived here for a period of time can pick up on the tiny unique qualities. Overall, I'm feeling pretty good about how I did and now I am far more comfortable with my academic experience now that I have gone through this midterm experience. Thank you for reading this week and I'll have loads of photos to show off next week. Look for my Instagram Takeover on the 21st as well! See ya later!
Now this week I am straying a bit away from my usual motivational messages on my blog. This week I would like to share my experience with Heartland Tours, a Scottish tour service which brings, mostly students, around the Scottish Highlands to experience all of the amazing sights and sounds. It was a full 3-day tour of the Highlands which brought us from Glen Coe to Loch Ness and everywhere in between. It started early Friday morning, departing from campus around 9am and immediately hitting the road toward the Highlands. I would love to get into the details of every stop but that would take all night because this trip was jam packed with interesting towns, gorgeous scenery, and fun adventures. The Fairy Pools, Fairy Glen, Glen Coe with the Harry Potter Bridge (train and all), and The Old Man of Storr are just a few of the stops we made and I cannot describe how much fun I had and how much my appreciation for Scotland has developed over the course of a single weekend. The only thing I can truly express is how grateful I am to have the oppourtunity to go on a Study Abroad experience as amazing as this. If I hadn't chosen to attend Susquehanna University, I would have never been able to experience the awe-inspiring beauty of Scotland. If there were ever any doubts about my decison to Study Abroad, they were swiftly cast aside once this amazing trip began. And this experience I had directly connects to all of the messages I have been putting out since I started this blog. If I didn't have the courage to come to Scotland or if I didn't have the courage to force myself out of my comfort zone, I would have missed out on what I can genuinely say has been a live-changing experience. And my adventures in Scotland and around the world are only just beginning. I can whole-heartedly say that I have made the right decision and if you or someone you know is having doubts about a study abroad trip or any new experience, let them know that taking these kinds of risks almost always pays off in the end. If my Scotland trip ended tomorrow, I would be completely content with the experiences I have had the pleasure of having. And that makes me all the more excited to push myself out there more and experience even more in the remaining time of this semester. I now am positive that I made the right decision and I know that this is one of the greatest times of my life. I will try and upload as many pictures as I can sometime this week to share all of the experiences I had. Next weekend, expect even more photos because it will be my first time travelling to mainland Europe. I'll make sure to keep my blog from turing into a travel blog though, I promise. Thank you for tuning in this week and I hope my excitement from this trip is aptly expressed through my blogs. See you next week!
Once again, I'm very sorry for the delay in this week's post. I had some personal problems I had to deal with in relation to my friends back home. This isn't an excuse but I hope you understand.
In light of this problem back home I'm facing, I want to emphasize the importance of staying connected with your loved ones while abroad. Whether it be family, friends, or a significant other, it is essential that you maintain your connections with people while you are abroad. It is a wonderful thing to travel to a new place and make new friends, but it is just as wonderful to be able to share those experiences with the people in your life you are back in the States. Now this scenario poses an interesting dillema. Time. Not only the issue of time management and maing sure you get to engage with the culture around you, but also the issue of time zones. I had to figure out a way to overcome this issue to make sure I had time, almost every day, to talk with friends and family back home to keep them in the loop. In Scotland, the time difference is 5 hours, so when it is noon in the Pennsylvania, it's 5pm and i'm eating dinner. This time difference makes staying connected difficult because when I'm in class, my friends and family are asleep and when I'm free, they are at work or in class. But I worked out a system where I will stay up slightly later than normal to make sure I can stay in contact because maintaining that connection and being able to connect with something familiar is essential and worth the effort. It means alot to me that people back home will take time and adjust their schedules to talk with me while I'm abroad and I know it means alot to them that I take the time to stay connected as well. I find that whenever I am stressed about school work, or in my current case a personal issue, it is nice to be able to lean on my usual support system, even though I am abroad. Usually, in my blog I try to emphasize the importance of balance between what is familiar and new/uncomfortable experiences. This motif of connection is central to that idea. You can't be balanced without keeping in touch with what you find familiar and who you care about. And this connection creates a great oppourtunity to share and reflect on the experiences you have on your abroad semester. Overall, I believe that making sure you have that firm base and support from people back home is essential for having a fun, successful, productive, and life-changing GO experience. I can't emphasize it's importance enough. Once again, sorry for the delay but I should have my personal affairs dealt with by next week so expect me to be right on time. Now that I have settled into the new environment of Scotland and gotten comfortable with my classes and schedule, I thought it was high time I take a trip and really entrench myself into Scotland beyond Stirling. So this weekend I took a day trip to Inverness, a small city way up in the North of Scotland. I realized that this is the furtherst north I have ever been in my life and the day did not disappoint. I went to Inverness with my flatmate Peter and after the long 3-hour train ride Saturday morning, we wasted no time getting into the sights and sounds of Inverness. Throughout the day, I ate some of the best Pizza I have ever had (suprisingly strong pizza in Scotland), toured the Inverness Castle, went through the local Art Mueseum, and walked through a gorgeous church filled with lovely sculptures and art. Overall, the day was awesome and it made me realize how important it is to not get too comfortable with your local area during a study abroad trip. Now I don't mean that in the sense that you shouldn't have a place where you are comfortable. It is paramount that you make yourself as comfortable as possible and have a place where you can chill out for a weekend. But I realized that just like how it takes guts to take the risk and travel to another country to study, you have to keep in mind how valuable it is to visit other locations while abroad. Your travel doesn't end when you get to your dorm. The journey of a GO Trip is and should be continuous. If you allow yourself to get complacent and stay within a few miles of your campus, you didn't really experience everything the country has to offer. Every town and city has something interesting to offer and, if you don't push yourself to go out and experience it, you won't know what you are missing. I understand that the journey to a new country can be exhausting. When I first arrived, I didn't want to go anywhere outside of Stirling because I was running on fumes. But now that I have had a couple weeks to recharge myself, I cannot contain my excitement for the trips I have planned all over Scotland and outside of the UK. The key is to stay curious and stay open-minded. It's easy to say, "Oh I want to save my money" or "Oh I just not feeling it today", but if you push yourself outside the box you will be happier for it. That's my insight for the week. Sorry for the shorter blog today but i'll try and make up for it by posting some more photos from my trip in the coming days. Have a great week and I'll be here with a new post next week.
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