The idea of studying abroad might be a scary prospect for many students. Puget Sound provides several chances for students to figure out whether or not they want to consider going away for a whole semester to a completely different country, encouraging the notion that studying abroad offers a variety of unique opportunities: to experience different education structures and cultural exploration. But making the decision to go can be a tough one, especially if students don’t quite know how to get started or who to talk to.
Although Puget Sound offers plenty of information that a student might need to make such a decision, it’s always helpful to get a personal perspective on the subject. Students Theresa Gabrielli and Chelsea Tsuchida offered to share their experiences, having spent last semester far away from the Pacific Northwest.
As an English Creative Writing major, it may seem a little unusual for someone who doesn’t speak a lick of Italian to choose to study abroad in Milan, Italy, but Theresa Gabrielli has greater ties to the boot-shaped country than just language. She decided to spend her semester in Milan because of her Italian heritage. Her grandparents were from Italy, so she wanted to learn more about the Italian culture, although she was unable to visit the exact area where her family used to reside.
During her extended stay, Gabrielli lived in an apartment with five Americans and one Italian, making for a grand total of six roommates. Although it was different from the living situation found on campus, she “really liked the experience.” She said it helped that there was a grocery store nearby that allowed her and her roommates to learn to cook for themselves, another benefit of living off-campus.
One of the study abroad programs in which Puget Sound participates is called the Institute for the International Education of Students Abroad (IES), which offered the classes Gabrielli took in Milan. This was a different college experience since the classes were not at an actual university, but at a center from which the IES program worked.
“It was a very small community,” Gabrielli said, which allowed her to get to know her classmates in a more intimate setting.
There were numerous trips to various places around Italy, including excursions to Tuscany, the Alps and small towns sprinkled throughout the country. There were also always plenty of stores, which meant tons of shopping. Gabrielli mentioned the American perception about how much pride Italians take in food and deemed it accurate.
Some advice Gabrielli has for students who are considering going abroad include that if you’re ever feeling overwhelmed, “step back and observe.” These are wise words from someone who knew no Italian and probably had to take her own advice a time or two.
Chelsea Tsuchida, on the other hand, decided to go to London for her trip abroad. As a junior in high school, she once spent ten days visiting the city and fell in love with it. She knew she wanted to go back and study abroad provided the perfect opportunity.
Orientation at Puget Sound is a time for bonding for students, but not many can say they spent their introduction to school watching Much Ado About Nothing at the world-renowned Globe Theater—and that was just the beginning of Tsuchida’s stay in London. Like Gabrielli, Tsuchida was able to travel outside of London, including Scotland and Paris. Over in Ieper, Belgium, she was educated in a little bit of history at some World War I monuments and cemeteries.
Tsuchida also mentioned that there were “really good waffles and Nutella ice cream.”
Classes consisted mostly of film studies about censorship and novel-to-film as well as English classes. She described them as “very different,” especially the way in which grades were distributed—a lot of students at Puget Sound would appreciate the fact that anything above a seventy percent would be considered an ‘A.’ Classes were also much less structured and the professors more relaxed, another study in contrast provided by time abroad.
School was not the only kind of work she completed while away from home. While abroad she also took held an internship studying press and marketing with the Royal Academy of Art. Dance class at a studio fondly named Pineapple also kept her occupied.
Instead of an apartment, Tsuchida stayed in a residence hall with all manner of students who were also studying abroad with numerous other programs. It was an interesting experience for her since they were mostly from the Midwest and East Coast, providing a multitude of cultures and personalities to get to know. She said it was great to, “get to know the people in [her] program.”
When asked what she missed from home, a surprising answer was “the dollar.” There was also the convenience of campus and the ability to get a hot meal quickly with a meal plan, burgers, customer service, and, of course, family – especially since the time difference made it hard to talk.
Instead of stereotyping the culture in which she had been immersed, Tsuchida found that Americans were being stereotyped – and not in the way many might think. People in London found Americans to be characterized as “over-friendly,” she said. Although this opinion seemed to change the further she was from the city, within London itself she found a completely different experience than any other cities in Europe.
As for advice for future travelers, she said, “It’s definitely a good experience to have,” and it “makes you appreciate aspects of home.”