“If you want to be a journalist, part of it is about experiencing life and being exposed to the world around you,” says Katherine Dunn, a third-year journalism student, who is travelling to Aarhus, Denmark in January to participate in Carleton’s study abroad program.
The program is unique in the sense that while expanding students’ education, it also provides participants with something much more valuable: an unforgettable experience.
Julia Burpee and Ruby Pratka, also journalism students, are currently studying in Melbourne, Australia and St. Petersburg, Russia respectively.
Although everyone has their own reasons for wanting to study abroad, Burpee says the program gave her the opportunity to combine her love of travelling with the chance to meet new people.
Pratka, on the other hand, says she saw studying abroad as a chance to improve her Russian and satisfy her interest in Russian culture. While in Russia, she says she has also noticed the curious “two-faced” attitude that Russians have developed towards foreigners.
“Russians, who were restricted from travelling abroad for about 50 years, are fascinated with anything originating from ‘beyond the border.’ On the other hand, there is a lot of discrimination against foreigners,” Pratka says.
She uses the example of museum entrance prices, where foreigners sometimes have to pay three times the regular entry price.
Burpee says her experiences in Australia have been quite the opposite.
“Before arriving in Australia, many people had told me that the people and cultures of both countries are really similar, and it’s true,” she says. “As the Aussies say, ‘Aussies and Canadians get along like a house on fire.’”
Studying abroad can also give students the chance to discover more about themselves. Although Dunn has not yet departed for her half-year term in Denmark, she says she already anticipates that her experience will be a life-altering one.
Going straight to university from high school, Dunn says she feels like she missed out on the opportunity to travel and try new things.
“I feel like I haven’t had exposure to real life and the world. I really wanted to take a year or a semester to experience things other than the library. It’s not so much about school, but more about experiencing the world around you and getting out of your comfort zone,” Dunn says.
For Burpee, the chance to study abroad was not only an opportunity to see more of the world, but to declare her independence and try living on her own for the first time.
“I have already learnt many valuable lessons that I will carry forward with me – studying abroad, far from my family and friends has taught me to appreciate all that I have back home, as well as the opportunities I am fortunate to have abroad,” Burpee says.
Not only do students travel to their study country, but while there, they have the ability to travel both within that country and as well as within the continent. For example, Pratka says she spent her winter vacation in Helsinki and Paris, and was able to venture to three other European countries for spring break.
Burpee says she believes that travelling while abroad is an integral part of the experience. “Travelling is too important to waste the wonderful opportunities that being on this side of the world brings to you,” she says.
Although studying abroad is almost always regarded as a positive experience, there are always challenges to finding yourself so far from home.
Pratka says that the hardest part of being in Russia was all the changes happening back in Canada without her.
“I had a close friend die suddenly, and could not be there for the funeral. I had to be on Skype with our other friends just so we could support each other.”
One of the other challenges presented to students is the huge time difference between participants and their loved ones. Dunn, who while in Denmark will be experiencing a 10-hour time difference from her family in Calgary, says she recognizes the potential challenge of this staggering obstacle.
“Imagine going your whole day knowing that everyone back home is asleep,” she says.
Despite the challenges that may hinder their experience, all three students agree that their time studying abroad will help influence their future.
“The experience has changed my life,” Burpee says. “I feel that the challenges and changes that I have faced, and continue to face, will prove to be the most rewarding experience I ever had.”