Let’s Take a Field Trip
I think it’s safe to say that I’m in the thick of things now. The excitement that was lost in translation and manifested as anxiety — anxiety that I would not be liked, that culture shock would electrify me to…
UT Education Abroad Blog
Inspiring Longhorns to Explore the World
UT Education Abroad Blog
Inspiring Longhorns to Explore the World
Category Global Ambassador
Global Ambassadors are Education Abroad representatives selected each semester to share stories about their education abroad experiences and encourage others to study abroad.
Unfamiliarity Unexpectedly Breeds Connections
As an undergraduate student in my third year, studying linguistics and Chinese, I chose to attend National Taiwan University (NTU) to learn more about my family’s cultural heritage and to master the Chinese language. My early childhood in Gongguan, “公館,”…
Shifting Expectations
Part of me has always known that I wanted a different study abroad experience than most people. I wanted to integrate completely into a society that was so different from my life back home in Texas. That’s why I originally…
What Immersion Does To Your Brain
In two days, it will be three weeks since I arrived here in Mexico City for the first time. Two years ago, I would have never thought I’d be here. It’s funny to me because in the first semester of…
Birthday in Bristol
For my very first blog post, I’ve decided to share my experience in Bristol, ringing in both the new year and the 20th year of my life. Embarking on a journey across the pond already feels like a massive change;…
Finding Stability Amidst Change
Before I left for Dublin, I had more fears than I could count. I’d tell anyone who would listen that I was sure I’d be deported, kicked out of school, or get lost on my first day. Surprisingly, I wasn’t…
Familiar but Distinct
As a Chinese international student at UT Austin, I am familiar with how studying abroad feels. I can’t recall exactly how I felt when I arrived at the airport wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pushing two large suitcases out of…
Comfort Zones, Making Friends
As someone who is a special brand of an extrovert-presenting introvert, I had anxiety just thinking about how long I would be away from my family and friends with no guarantee of a social life while I was abroad. My…
Expect the Unexpected
It has been 16 days. These 16 days abroad have been the most eye-opening days of my life. I knew studying abroad would be an experience, but I did not expect this. Before going abroad, you are told, “These will…