Countdown - 6 days, 8 hours, and 52 minutes until departure.
Since around this time last year, studying abroad has at times felt like a never ending to - do list. Countless emails, forms, applications, research, meetings, and somehow it has all boiled down to just a few more steps. So as I sign my last couple of entrance documents, and zip up my suitcases, I thought I would share what it has all boiled down to - my 3 P’s of Pre Departure.
Are you thinking about studying away? Scouring the depths of the internet for some inspiration or motivation? Well, there's A LOT of advice out there — trust me I consumed loads of blogs, articles, and youtube videos before making my decision. But honestly, at times I felt a bit lost in the racket of pithy blog titles and filtered photos. Whose top five tips for applying to study away programs are the best? Which destination is everyone else enjoying — I saw that one cool upperclassman friend group all went to Florence? How many scholarships should I apply to?
I chose to study abroad in Korea mostly from a place of curiosity. I had heard from a friend that Seoul was an exciting, vibrant city with a lot to do, and I wanted to try living somewhere that I knew would have a very different culture than what I was used to. This summer, I started to get a little nervous when I realized that I was completely clueless about everything Korean—I didn’t know the language, I had never really watched any Korean media (besides Squid Game), and I didn’t know anything about K-pop. I feared that I would have a very difficult time adjusting to life in Seoul.
Hello! Hola! こんにちは! My name is Kamora Millan and I shall be the voice behind the words you see here for my blog series! I thought to give a short insight into who I am because that it's important for contextual reasons while I describe my experiences while heading to Tokyo. So! I am Caribbean-American, specifically Jamaican and Puerto Rican so I'm sort of used to multiple languages getting thrown around in my house. I'm an Anthropology major, which is essentially the study of cultures.
The world is a huge place but just small enough for us to travel wherever our hearts desire. Studying abroad is the perfect opportunity to start. Sure, one could travel later in life, without having to worry about attending classes, but doing so in college offers a safety net for new, young travelers. There is a tremendous amount of support offered to those who opt to go while in college. This helps ease some of the anxiety one may feel when traveling.
My study abroad training montage would feature a lot of footage of me placating the Duolingo owl. By day, I’m click-clacking away on my computer doing accounting work for my summer internship. By night, it’s all about knocking out my daily language-learning streak to fight back against the passive-aggressive notifications thrown by that habit-setting bird. Don’t get me wrong, I am a major fan of the app.
