Students stories of the opportunity of a lifetime
From the greenery and beaches in Chiang Mai, the beautiful art galleries in Viterbo, and to the cultural blend of old and new in Osaka, UNLV students gain a variety of experiences as they study abroad for a semester or two to countries from all over the world. University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s study abroad program University Studies Abroad Consortium, USAC, operates programs in 28 countries and sends thousands of students abroad annually.
When considering study abroad, UNLV students start the process at the Office of International Programs. Advising meetings with Lizbeth Arias, Senior Education Abroad Advisor, helps students to learn about the variety of programs and application process for USAC.
Studying abroad is an opportunity that certainly some students are fully open to doing during their college careers.
“Student goals for their time abroad are so varied, which is wonderful, because we get to see so many different students go abroad based on their own inspiration,” Arias said. “Sometimes they choose to pursue personal goals like reconnecting with their heritage abroad while completing general education requirements. Other students might go abroad for professional reasons to pursue an internship, service learning, or a foreign language to become more well-rounded and competitive candidates in their future career field.”
To experience life outside of one’s city and country, or to gain global knowledge for a career outside of one’s environment are just some reasons students decide to pack up and go abroad.
For Zully Mejia, a painting major at UNLV, it was to see the Renaissance art that inspires her work as an artist. Mejia, studied abroad in Viterbo, a small town in the middle of Italy, during the fall semester of 2018. As a painting major, she wanted to see the history and culture of Italian art, where the Renaissance art emerged.
“There’s such a big art history, richness there,” Mejia said. “To be able to see a lot of these artworks from the Renaissance, and from the Middle Ages in person, and even contemporary art was really helpful for my process in art making and my career.”
Her time in Italy made her realize the importance of experiencing a different culture and art from another country. Living in the country where all her inspiration comes from motivated her as an artist. She wishes that other students like her could have the chance to gain an international education through study abroad. Mejia started a fundraiser called Global Awareness UNLV Artist to sponsor another fine art student's study abroad education.
"I didn't see any scholarship opportunities specifically for art students to study abroad, and I wanted to do what I could, even with my limited resources to change that," Mejia said. Through her GoFundMe page, her goal is to raise $850 for the award.
For other students, studying abroad provided them the opportunity to finally go to the countries they’ve dreamed of for years. With USAC providing a great list of cities and countries to choose from, students have a variety of choices from each continent. One of the popular destinations among USAC study abroad students is Japan, with programs in cities like Osaka, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
For a long time, going to Japan has been a dream for Amy Lin, a UNLV business student. She has studied the Japanese language for four years in high school, and continued the language for three more semester in college. Just sitting in a classroom and learning the language for years wasn’t enough for her.
“I was really scared of talking in Japanese to natives when going to restaurants, so I wanted to go to Japan and figure out on what I could do better myself and evaluate myself on what level (of language) I’m at,” Lin said For just a spring semester abroad in Osaka, living there helped her to improve her language skills by gaining confidence in speaking the language to natives. The chance to immerse themselves more in the language they’ve been learning is a great experience for many students to utilize the language at an everyday setting.
Others find the adventure in a foreign country to be a fulfilling part of their college life. For people who enjoy nature and the outdoors, going to a country like Thailand is an adventure of a lifetime.
Drake Stevenson, a UNLV political science major, studied abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand last fall semester. From the people he met to the places he went, Thailand was a beautiful country.
“The people there were very kind, very helpful, in that sense,” Stevenson said. “Also the physical landscape is super green, very mountainous country with beautiful beaches and cool wildlife.”
With many students more than ready to leave for a semester abroad or two, USAC helps with their goals and decisions. They offer many different programs with a wide range of opportunities for students to travel, learn, and immerse oneself in the country. Volunteering opportunities, field trip and tours, activities with locals, and internships are also available in some countries.
“The ability for a student to pursue their own academic field in a foreign country of interest, with excellent support from a highly-rated study abroad program, while having support from UNLV and the opportunity to apply for scholarships provides an unparalleled opportunity to flourish personally, academically, and professionally,” Arias said.
The experiences and opportunities of studying abroad extends beyond the classroom. The growth not just as a student but also as a visitor and traveler of another country are valuable life lessons no matter where anyone goes.
It goes without saying that studying abroad is not without some bumps in the road. For first-timers, the difficulty of living alone in a new city can be intimidating. The language barriers and cultural differences should be expected but can still be challenging. The cost of the study abroad can be overwhelming with tuition and accommodation expenses. Nonetheless, none of these reasons should deter one from taking the chance to experience life in a new culture and city.
As an international programs adviser, Lizbeth Arias holds multiple pre-departure orientations every semester before students leave the country. The orientation meetings review on topics, such as handling culture shock, homesickness, foreign currency exchange, visa process, and more. Arias never forgets to tell her own experiences as a study abroad student in the past.
Before her departure to Chengdu, China, she held many of the same worries and questions as students do when they consider study abroad. Over time, after traveling around her program city and country, a moment came when she stopped to fully appreciate her decision to study abroad. Exhausted from a long train ride through southern China, she said that the place she had been hesitant about before had become her home.
“Had I not taken the leap and made the journey, I would have missed out on so many of my most memorable experiences," Arias said. “It's important students know that the journey is rewarding beyond what they can currently imagine.”
Further Reading:
Think You Can't Study Abroad?
Tips and Tricks for Safer Studying Abroad