Tag Foreign Language

Bright building painted in blue and pink sits in the center of a neighborhood on a sunny day

Shifting My Personal Focus

College of Natural Sciences Colleges and Schools Countries Exchange Programs Global Ambassador Mexico

May 9, 2023
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Last December, I had a scare that almost prevented me from going abroad: In order to get acceptance from my international university, I had to send a copy of my passport. I had applied for renewal a couple months before,…

A group of smiling students posing on a bridge at night with vibrant red neon lights illuminating the background.

Irish Classrooms: What I’ve Gained

College of Liberal Arts Colleges and Schools Countries Exchange Programs Global Ambassador Ireland

April 19, 2023
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When I get home from studying abroad, I know what questions to expect: “Where did you go?” “How was the food?” “What about the weather?” I’m happy to answer all of them, but I’m also eager to talk about an…

Step by Step

College of Liberal Arts Colleges and Schools Countries Exchange Programs Global Ambassador South Korea

April 5, 2023
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When I missed my connecting flight to South Korea three weeks ago, I thought it was a sign from the universe that leaving home wasn’t the best idea. I struggled to find peace while I hastily shouldered my heavy duffel…

Tall glass buildings align a highway entrance ramp with few cars advancing in a central corridor of Hong Kong.

Shifting Expectations

College of Liberal Arts Colleges and Schools Exchange Programs Global Ambassador

March 7, 2023
2

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…

Student posing in front of a pyramid in Mexico

What Immersion Does To Your Brain

College of Natural Sciences Colleges and Schools Countries Exchange Programs Gilman Scholarship Global Ambassador Mexico

March 1, 2023
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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…

Image of the side of a building with many windows and a small garden

Familiar but Distinct

College of Liberal Arts Colleges and Schools Countries Exchange Programs Global Ambassador Singapore

February 21, 2023
2

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…

New Year, New City, New Me

College of Liberal Arts Colleges and Schools Exchange Programs Global Ambassador

January 24, 2023
1

On the first day of this year, I hopped on a plane (actually, three planes) to come to Hong Kong. My fervent packing the night before had been interrupted by New York’s, then New Orleans’ ball drop to ring in…

The symbolic camphor tree in front of the clock tower at Kyoto University

The Changing of Seasons and Kachoufugetsu

College of Liberal Arts Colleges and Schools Countries Exchange Programs Global Ambassador Japan

October 18, 2022
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When I first arrived in Kyoto, Japan, two weeks ago, my hair stuck to my face anytime I went outside. Carrying groceries under the blazing heat of the sun felt like a momentous task, akin to that of the long…

A girl with black shirt, standing in a brightly lit indoor space with ornate architectural details like railings, pillars, and tile work.

The Hardest Decisions Create the Greatest Outcomes

College of Liberal Arts Colleges and Schools Countries Exchange Programs Global Ambassador Mexico Moody College of Communication

September 16, 2022
1

I’m going to be honest: the closer I got to my flight date to leave Texas and go to Mexico, the more I doubted I would board the plane. The summer was two months full of obstacles with registration, health…