{"id":36848,"date":"2024-09-19T16:05:42","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T14:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/?p=36848"},"modified":"2024-09-19T16:05:42","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T14:05:42","slug":"student-blogger-digest-why-students-study-abroad-in-their-own-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/student-blogger-digest-why-students-study-abroad-in-their-own-words\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Blogger Digest: Why students study abroad, in their own words"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Who chooses to study abroad, and how do they decide that a semester overseas is right for them?<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our students arrive in Sweden and Denmark at different stages of their academic and personal journeys, each with unique motivations and aspirations.<\/em> Some are focused on exploring a career path, some want to experience a new cultural context, some are seeking to step outside of their comfort zone and develop their independence, and others set even more specific personal goals. <\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read each blogger\u2019s story below to learn why they chose to study abroad in Scandinavia.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tharaly (she\/her), Spelman College \u2013 To set an example for others<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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Tharaly\u2019s blog is titled \u201cBeyond the 6%,\u201d inspired by the statistic that only around six percent of Black college students study abroad.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally from Haiti and now a student at an HBCU in Atlanta, Tharaly writes about the transition from Spelman to a semester abroad at a predominantly white program in a Scandinavian country. She shares her successes, challenges, and how her Positive Psychology Core Course influences her perspectives of belonging and identity while abroad.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to use this blog to share my experiences abroad, the good and the bad, to inspire more students of color to take the risk and find the opportunity to go abroad.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to feel as though you don\u2019t belong. Your school may be unfamiliar, your hometown unknown, and your culture or identity questioned. But whether you\u2019re studying abroad or stepping into any unfamiliar space, remember this: you belong.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more from Tharaly on her blog<\/a>
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Grace (she\/her), University of Colorado Boulder \u2013 To learn about her future career<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Grace already knows that she plans to work in healthcare after she graduates, but she\u2019s still working to figure out exactly what path she will take.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She landed on the Medical Practice and Policy program at DIS when she saw how it related to her career goals and allows her to learn directly from working physicians and healthcare professionals in the field.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe unique learning experiences at DIS were a big part of my decision to study abroad. Before I left home, I can\u2019t even tell you how many times I told my family and friends: \u2018I\u2019m going to Denmark to learn about their healthcare system and compare it to ours AND I\u2019ll get to visit doctors in the hospital to learn from them.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read about Grace\u2019s career aspirations on her blog<\/a>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oli (he\/him), Kenyon College \u2013 To explore his identity, both past and future<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Oli grew up in a small Wisconsin town and studies at Kenyon College in Ohio, an equally small and rural spot.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But \u201cDenmark has been an unread, ever-rooted page\u201d in his life thanks to his grandfather, who grew up in Denmark just a short distance from Copenhagen, which is what inspired Oli to travel from the American Midwest to the Danish capital.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aided with old stories and photos from his grandfather, Oli\u2019s blog is dedicated to discovering his family history, while also charting his own path and exploring different facets of his identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a sociology major, you can bet that identity is something I mull over often. There is more to identity and your personal narrative than where you\u2019re from or where you used to be. I think that purpose is important too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not just the whole idea of \u2018where do you come from?\u2019 but maybe also \u2018What are you doing here?\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have a whole new identity to consider as \u2018a student abroad.\u2019 But what does that mean for me? As of now… I\u2019m still working on that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Oli\u2019s reflections on his blog<\/a>
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elise (she\/her), George Washington University \u2013 To inspire personal growth\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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Elise self identifies as an over-committer, involved in many extracurriculars at her home university. Reflecting on her packed schedule, she admits that she often measures her success by how much she does for other people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studying abroad, she decided, could be a way to break out of this pattern.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to do something that was just for me. Studying abroad wasn\u2019t something that was going to win me brownie points with the people back home. Instead, it was an opportunity for me to explore a new part of the world and experience a new culture, allowing me to grow and learn for myself.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A semester in Sweden was the perfect chance for Elise to set aside her commitments at home, at least temporarily, so that she could invest in her own academic success and personal growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to try a whole bunch of new things with the freedom to keep pursuing what is interesting and fulfilling to me, but also the willingness to let go of the things that aren\u2019t for me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Elise\u2019s predeparture insights on her blog<\/a>
\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacques (he\/him), Vassar College \u2013 To fuel his passions\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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Jacques had experience with international travel before coming to DIS, but studying abroad was the first time he had stayed for so long in another country.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a daunting choice to study overseas, but a deeply intentional one. Moving to Stockholm allowed Jacques to pursue his academic passions, further his career interests, and meet people from diverse places. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDIS Stockholm offered me the opportunity to continue my passions: Blogging [with the Student Media Team] will foster my love for writing and journalism, studentboende living will allow me to meet new people from around the world and immerse myself in a unique lifestyle, and the Politics and Security program will cater to my interests in immigration, political security, and international relations.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Jacques\u2019s reasons for studying abroad<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Want to learn more?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

>> Read about a semester in Stockholm
<\/a>>> Read about a semester in Copenhagen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who chooses to study abroad, and how do they decide that a semester…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50529668,"featured_media":36869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[681700842,681700843],"tags":[681701151,681701079,31617,117465389,681700907,7824],"class_list":["post-36848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-perspectives","category-student-voices","tag-blogger-digest","tag-community","tag-copenhagen","tag-dis-abroad","tag-perspectives","tag-stockholm"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Mons-Klint-HOSL-trip-Favorites-20.jpg?fit=6000%2C4000&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3yXPo-9Ak","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50529668"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36848"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36868,"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36848\/revisions\/36868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/discoverstudyabroad.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}