Study Abroad

Studying abroad is something I've always dreamt of doing. In high school, I imagined the experience as a gung ho, adventurous and eye-opening opportunity for young adults not yet immersed in the professional working field. I saw it as a treat and privilege for college students.

When I got into school, studying abroad got stuffed into the back corner of my mind. I got caught up in my honors work, my regular work, and my commitments to community activities at Fairfield. Plus, I thought I couldn't afford the cost of the program.

Now, many of my friends are going abroad. Danielle is off to France in the Spring. Ali, Spencer and Stephen are going to Italy next year. It's invigorating and intimidating to see how certain they all are about study abroad. To be honest, I am not the type to be certain about anything--and that goes the same way with my family. My weakness is that I can be too unsure of my decisions.

I watched my sister's progress in signing up for Study Abroad. In the beginning, she was definitely sure, and An told me that she would go to South Africa for a semester. I was surprised,  but I didn't say much to that.

Then, she received bad news. Her scholarships wouldn't cover the cost of study abroad. Her plan fell through. An went through a stage of depression and jealousy, as she realized that her friends would be studying abroad while she remained at home. 

Until a month ago, I thought the same thing in my mind--that I wouldn't be able to study abroad. And yet, I just read through Fairfield's policy on financial aid for study abroad and found that I could use all of my scholarships to study in another country, and I can potentially pay less money than I would pay for a term at Fairfield.

Needless to say, I was extremely excited. Now, instead of watching movies and playing Sims 3 like I've been doing for the past week, I've been researching about study abroad. I've been considering England for some time, since I am, after all, an English major. Another interesting place is Vietnam.

Sure, to anyone else, these places are boring, but I feel like these two countries mean the most to me right now. Regent College in the UK offers tons of courses that I can use to fulfill my core university and major requirements. Loyola Vietnam Center in Ho Chi Minh City has less courses, but all of their courses have something to do with Vietnam and its culture.

I'm actually leaning towards Vietnam! See, at Fairfield, the English classes are up to par--some professors are actually from England. I learn the English literature and language from the best. In HCM, there are courses on the Vietnamese language, culture and history--important parts that are lacking in my life and my educational life (Fairfield has probably one class on Vietnam--and it's about the Vietnam War, which is such an overdone topic).

Also, there's this awesome organization called Blue Dragon Children's Foundation. It's an organization based in HCM that helps get kids off the streets and back into schools. The organizers save child sex slaves and child labor workers, and change people's lives. I would love to help out with this organization!

I've told my mom and she's been nothing but supportive. She even suggested I go during the Spring semester because then I'll experience Tết, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year, in the holiday's origin. Mom also said she and dad would visit me in Vietnam :)

I'm thinking about all I can learn and retain from an experience in Vietnam...it's so enticing, just thinking about the possibilities.

One of my major weaknesses is confidence, and I actually believe that comes partly from my poor Vietnamese language. I'm always scared to speak the language to people other than my immediate family. Sometimes, I feel ashamed that I'm basically illiterate as a Vietnamese. Perhaps if I get a chance to take these Vietnamese classes and learn beyond what my family cannot teach me -- maybe then I'll be more confident in myself.

I'm reading through this entry and I know that I sound so optimistic. That's how I feel right now! I really hope, however, that I can make this happen. Deadline is February 1, 2012 for study abroad applications for 2012-2013. Let's go!