Liverpool Hope University: Snapshots of Campus Life

I woke up this morning, surprised to see snowflakes tumbling down from the grey canopy of clouds. Although I’ll be in Liverpool for two more weeks, today was my last day of classes. It’s a melancholy feeling I can’t describe: the inevitable passing of time, hours melting away like a snowflake in my palm.  As …

Schooling…or Unschooling?

As of this writing, it’s Friday, and every single class on my Liverpool Hope University (LHU) timetable was actually held this week AND last week, making me a very happy student. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the education structure here is different from Hope. Classes at LHU last a full year (October – …

Chapter 9: a day in the life

song: walking on sunshine Hi all! Today I am walking you through a day in my life as a study abroad student in Barcelona, Spain.  Since it’s Monday, I wake up around 8:00 am to get ready then leave for the train station at 8:45 am. Then, I board the train to take me to …

Art of Chile

After my health scare, I am recovering and have found joy in exploring the city. The IES program was an immersive experience. Whether sitting through classes, developing conversations, or observing everyday life, I was challenged to consider the past, present and future of Chile. My program connected my academic interests to my personal ones. In …

SIT Independent Study Project Reflections

As mentioned in a previous post, one of the hallmarks of SIT’s Study Abroad Program is its Independent Study Project (ISP). Since that post, I have officially turned in my paper, closed all of my computer tabs, and paid for my last cup of coffee at Boréal. As you can imagine, it was a bittersweet …

Chapter 6: the record scratch

song of the week: smile Greetings all! I hope you are feeling like you’re hitting your stride. Hopefully I feel that way after every college student’s least favorite time (maybe second least favorite?) – exams. Let me start by saying that exams here are like hearing a record scratch because even though I am studying …

Post-Finals Activity: Commencing the Independent Study Project

(Bonus, my go-to study tunes are included below!) Alas, my final exams are finished!  But, what does that mean for the rest of the semester? If you think that the answer is that I have four free weeks to hang out with Swiss cows (though, I wish I could)… it’s actually quite the opposite.  While …

It’s more than me; it’s more than the US

In my last blog, I began explaining my pursuit of cultural intelligence. I shared the humbling realization that apart from news that affects me personally, I am ignorant of issues outside the US. In fact, during my study abroad preparation at Hope, Amy Quincey mentioned the stereotype that Americans are globally unaware. In my case, …

Mes études à Genève

My study abroad program is focused on International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy– but what does this entail? What am I learning about? What classes am I taking? What language am I taking classes in?  Let’s take a look at my schedule! Classes: International Relations and Multilateral Diplomacy: In this course, we learn more about the …