Recently, one of my classes took a trip to the Irish National Museum of Archelogy in Dublin. The museum is large and spacious, consisting of multiple rooms where artifacts dating back to the Mesolithic period sit, each waiting to teach students of history about their small but profound contribution to historic Ireland. At first glance the items in the museum appear rather stale and uninteresting.

Finals at the University of Cape Town (UCT) are not too different than finals in the United States, format-wise. For one of my classes, the final was in a computer lab and proctored. For two of my other classes, the final was written and in-person. Another class, the one offered by IES Abroad, did not have a final. Instead, there was a symposium in which we all had to participate (I’ll talk more about this in detail later on in this post). All in all, the format of finals for me were not an issue.

I have been in Cape Town for about two weeks now, and I think I’ve started to get my footing here. It was definitely an adjustment at first, mostly with learning some new terminology, figuring out how to order at restaurants, and understanding the layout of the city, among others. The IES Abroad staff have been very helpful in providing tips on how to get around the city like a local and are amazing at suggesting things to do.

Hi everyone! This blog is about the differences between classroom environments in the U.S. compared to Europe—specifically Madrid. To preface, it’s important to note that I only had two instructors while abroad. My experience during my six weeks may not be the most accurate representation of abroad classroom culture entirely, but it’s something I would like to share regardless! It’s important to note that the culture in Madrid is very liberal.

For some reason, I thought I would not experience culture shock. Perhaps this was because I did not experience it when I traveled with a group to Scandinavia a few summers ago. The reason that this time is different is because I live in Buenos Aires; I am not simply a tourist. Culture shock is sometimes so subtle that you do not even notice it until afterwards. It is hard to recognize because it wears many colors. It begins with the first day.

Through the DiscoverIES I had the opportunity to take a cooking class! This was one of the best experiences that I’ve ever had. We got to make some amazing food and had an awesome time doing it. Anyone who is considering taking a cooking class in another country I would recommend it one hundred percent. This DiscoverIES all started when our cooking instructor Yves picked us up from the metro stop. He then drove us to his beautiful home, where the cooking class would take place.

I was at Disneyland Paris with my friends getting food. We had to place our order at the register and go to a separate station to pick it up. The cook was preparing my food and when they were done, they held my plate, smiled, and asked where I was from. I said, “I’m from New York.” They smiled again and said, “No, but where are you really from?” This took me back to the end of my last semester abroad in France…

哭笑不得 (in pinyin: kū xiào bù dé). This is a Chinese idiom, or chengyu, meaning that one is between laughter and tears. The Chinese use this idiom to describe a situation that is both funny and embarrassing, or an experience or movie that is dynamically happy and sad. My coworkers taught me this idiom yesterday, and there is no better description, even in English, that could describe my past week.

The first thing that you should know about people from Massachusetts is that they love being from Massachusetts. I am no exception to that fact. I love the fall foliage, the snowy winters, and baseball season (also known as spring and summer). Maybe my family's and my own love of the Northeast is one of the reasons that I have never really traveled before. So, when I tell people that I am going to be studying abroad in Christchurch, New Zealand, for the next several months, this is generally how the conversation goes:

I only have a few days left in Salamanca and it’s bittersweet. I am looking forward to going home and sharing stories from the past month, but I am also going to miss life here. Over the past 25 days I have gotten to know the people here with me and we’ve learned a lot about the culture in Spain. However, I feel as though I’ve only just gotten to know Salamanca and the many things that make this city unique. I learn more every day, and I’m looking forward to learning more up until the day I leave.