NIU Study Abroad
12:56 PM
The NIU Study Abroad office has once again asked study abroad alumni to be guest bloggers and share their experiences abroad. Our Guest blogger for this week is Sammy Mallow!
I am a graduate student in the Geology department and I studied abroad in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for 8 weeks learning Khmer language at the Khmer School of Language. The Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship through the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at NIU supported me to study abroad.
Before departure, I was concerned about being able to relate to my soon to be Khmer language teachers. Cambodian culture is very different in general from American culture. I was specifically concerned about how to show respect as a student to my Cambodian teachers. It turned out my teachers were incredibly understanding, patient, and hospitable and my worries quickly dissolved after arrival.
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| Photo Credit: Kristen Amstutz, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Summer 2017 |
On the weekends, my teachers would take my fellow students and I on various cultural sight seeing outings. One of my favorite trips was to Phnom Bokor in Kampot province. Phnom Bokor is a 3,400ft tall mountain located right next to the Cambodian coastline. The views from the mountain at sunset were spectacular. I saw a long beach stretching all the way to the coastal town of Kampot and large islands in the distance. It is the only place I have been to with a mountain rising up from lowland topography right next to the ocean.
I highly recommend studying abroad while you are in college. It opens up a whole new world of people and places. I would not be surprised if you find that people abroad are more than willing to help you navigate in your new environment. All you have to do is ask them for help. The friends I made overseas, I will remember for the rest of my life because while they are so different from me in terms of language and culture, we share so many of the same human experiences. If you have not already studied abroad, get out there and explore the world!
Thank you Sammy for sharing your experience abroad, and for all the great insights you provided for prospective study abroad students!
