International Experiences

Nicholas Schiavo • Dec 7, 2018 •4:51 pm

Centenary at the Cenotaph

November 11, 2018, was quite possibly the most memorable day of my experience so far in London. Sundays are usually quiet, but this Sunday was particularly special, as it marked the 100th year since the end of World War I. Understanding it was a huge milestone— especially in the United Kingdom— I...

Alura Neumyer • Nov 28, 2018 •8:22 pm

Not Forgetting the ‘Study’ in Study Abroad

A week-long break in the middle of the semester left most of us Stirling FYSAE students ready to travel as much as possible in that appealingly long time period. But, back to reality, most of our essays were due around this time period, and lots of stress ensued as we balanced academics and...

Nicholas Schiavo • Nov 2, 2018 •3:43 pm

To Tube or Not to Tube

During our FYSAE orientation in London, we were led by Arcadia staff into our local station of London’s subway system, the Underground or “tube.” They walked us through how to get to school, how to get back, and the area near Big Ben and Parliament (Westminster). I tried to memorize the weird...

Alura Neumyer • Oct 24, 2018 •12:00 pm

Travel Jitters

Before I left for FYSAE, this quote pushed me past my fears of living in another country during my first semester of college. It has encouraged me to overcome many obstacles: leaving friends and family behind, boarding a plane, traveling with strangers, and going on...

Heidi Specht • Oct 8, 2018 •5:02 pm

First Impressions of Arcadia: an International Perspective

A week before the annual mass of new students descend on Arcadia, another group— about 70 international students representing 15 countries— arrive with the same mix of anxiety and excitement.   For many of those international students, it is their first time at an American...

Alura Neumyer • Oct 8, 2018 •4:38 pm

Finding Homes Away From Home

As first-years, our lives change drastically. One day, we’re home with our parents to rely on and our dogs to wake us up in the morning. We’re accustomed to looking out the window everyday to see familiar surroundings. The next day, our routines dramatically changed. Everything transformed for...

Nicholas Schiavo • Oct 3, 2018 •5:18 pm

From Brigantine to Britain

Unlike most first-year students, a group of us weren’t obsessing about the usual nervous first-day-of-class jitters. Instead, we were preparing for a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the United Kingdom, where we would be thrown completely out of our comfort zones to study abroad our...

Nicole Gieselman • Oct 3, 2018 •4:00 pm

Padahastasanas for Post-Abroad Blues

Odds are at some point in your Arcadia career, you’ll have an international experience. The longer the trip, the more opportunities you have to immerse yourself in a foreign culture — and the more likely you are to suffer from a case of those dreaded post-abroad blues. After returning from four...

Heidi Specht • May 9, 2018 •10:54 am

Tourism’s Effect on Indigenous Chileans

Upon entering San Pedro de Atacama (the world’s driest desert, in northern Chile), tourists are greeted with a view like no other: volcano-topped horizons, white salt flats that seem to go on forever, and vibrant red rocks in every direction. This might be what makes the Chilean Desert one of South...

Heidi Specht • May 2, 2018 •9:56 am

‘Do You Eat Chilis in Chile?’

This week, I sat down with my Chilean friends and asked the burning question: What are the most common misconceptions that foreigners have about Chile? I was surprised when everyone starting talking at once. Clearly, there are a lot. Here is a narrowed-down list of questions Chileans...

Heidi Specht • Apr 4, 2018 •11:47 am

Commemorating International Women’s Day in Chile

On March 8, countries all around the world celebrated International Women’s Day.  Being in Chile, I had no idea what to expect for this day. But when I walked into Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV), my Chilean university, I was surprised to see it had changed...

Kathryn Jones • Mar 27, 2018 •12:43 pm

Enchanted by London’s Theater Scene

I grew up in a very artistic household. Everyone in my family plays an instrument, we all are avid singers, my sister and I draw, and my father and I write. I was not only surrounded by creativity growing up, but I was actively encouraged to explore these artistic urges. And that’s what I’ve...