Reflection: Education Abroad Expo

Reflection: Education Abroad Expo

I knew that I wanted to study abroad in my time at Ohio State, and the Education Abroad Expo only heightened that desire. Essentially, the expo gave me access to hundreds of global education programs, provided me with resources to refer to when planning my trip, and allowed me to ask questions. The opportunities are endless. I was provided with a list of locations of internships, universities, and pre-requisites for eligibility. They provided me with contact information for people who can help me plan my trips, and overall made education abroad a more realistic goal for me.

This topic is applicable to International Affairs because it allows me to achieve global awareness by immersing myself in different cultures. Although the expo didn’t directly correspond with anything we have learned so far, it was a presentation of all of the ways I could engage myself in education and diversity abroad. In addition, I plan to minor in a language, and when I am advanced enough, I can enrich my learning outside of the classroom.

I feel very comfortable living in unique circumstances and travelling. I will surely miss my family and friends, but I know they will always love and support me. I believe living in new environments can be hard, but the outcome is well worth it.

When I go abroad, I want to work or participate in research, or both! Professionally, this would look great on my resume because it would show experience applicable to my field. Academically, experiencing other ways of life will allow me to enrich my learning in a new culture. My heart desires adventure, and these opportunities allow me to chase that.

If I could design my ideal education abroad experience, it would be a combination of language and cultural immersion, education, and work. In my time at Ohio State, I plan to study abroad two to three times of varying lengths. There are four locations that interest me for studying abroad: Tanzania, Antarctica, South America, and Australia. In Tanzania, I would plan to stay one month and achieve 4 credit hours in the process. The Tanzania program I am interested in will allow me to observe wildlife in a very different environment while satisfying credits for my major. If I went to Antarctica, I would do it my senior year for one to two weeks. Although I didn’t see a program like this at the expo, from previous research I do know they exist. I want to go there to observe wildlife, as well as conduct research. If I went to Australia or South America, I would stay for a whole semester. In Australia, I would prefer to have an internship and conduct research, whereas in South America I would rather research and learn while immersing myself in a new language.