Monday, February 28, 2011

Paris

Bonjour!
I always knew someday I would live in Paris. I don't know when my love for the city had started but it was the only place I wanted to go. From the sites, the art, the fashion, the language, I wanted to experience it all and had always been obsessed with France. I began taking French in high school and after learning more about the language, country, and culture I knew it would be a perfect fit for me.
When it came time to start looking at colleges my first priority was to find one that had a study abroad programs that went to Paris. Once settling in at UW-L, Jason showed me all my options and programs in France. I briefly looked at other cities in France, but, in my mind, nothing could compare to Paris, with that said I narrowed my selection down to the programs that were in Paris and continued my search from there. I am also double majoring in International Business and Finance, and IB majors are required to spend some time abroad to complete thier program.
Studying in Paris was the best choice I have ever made and was my longtime dream come true.

À Bientôt,

Kelsey

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

This is Granada. This is my city.

¡Hola a tod@s!

I always knew that I was going to study abroad while in college, and, honestly, the study abroad office and its programs are one of the reasons why I chose to come to UW-L. I started learning Spanish at a young age, and in high school I had the opportunity to go to Spain for two weeks. The first week was spent traveling to various cities, but the second week I spent living with a Spanish family in Sevilla. That experience completely changed my life. Being abroad is addicting. When I came back, all I could think about was traveling again, so I emptied my bank account by taking a trip a to Mexico less than three weeks after I got back from Spain.

In my freshman year at UW-L I began talking with Jason Kouba about wanting to study abroad. My mind was set on going back to Spain, but I didn't know which city I wanted. I had visited a bunch of cities during my trip in   high school, but I couldn't make up my mind. I really wanted to go to Madrid because I love big cities; however, Professor Socha recommended Granada. He may have been a little bias towards that city, but I respected his opinion and did some research. I asked everyone for their opinions (including everyone I knew from Spain) and finally decided to go to Granada. I don't remember exactly why I chose it over Madrid, but once I arrived, I'm so glad that I did.


This is Granada. This is my city.

un saludo,

Jacob

Why students go abroad and to the places they do...

This week kicks off the beginning of this blog adventure! Our peer mentors are very excited to share their experiences with other students who may be thinking about going abroad, are abroad, or are coming home.

The first hot topic of the week is: Why I Went Abroad and to the Places I Did...

Step One of the Study Abroad Experience: Where should I go???

To every individual, the "perfect" study abroad location is different. Some people have known for years where they want to go while others may just throw a dart at the map. It is a guarantee that no two students will have the same experience when they are abroad, so that is why we are having our peer mentors talk about their selection process. Maybe you will find that you are having the same thoughts, feelings and experiences when it comes to finding that "perfect" location. Feel free to ask questions, post comments, etc. and the peer mentors will try and get back to you.

Enjoy and Explore you options!

"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ~ St. Augustine