Study Abroad Spotlight: Nicolas Glawe (Toledo, Spain)

The NIU Study Abroad office has asked study abroad alumni to be guest bloggers, and share their experiences abroad. Our Guest blogger for this week is Nicolas Glawe!

Photo credit: Jessica Yandun, Toledo, Spain, Summer 2015

1.    Where did you Study abroad, and how long was your study abroad experience? 

        I studied in Toledo, Spain for 5 weeks.

2.     What was the one thing you were most worried/thought about the most while preparing for your trip?

       I was most worried about how my host family was going to be!

3.       What type of housing did you stay in? Would you recommend this to others studying abroad?

        I stayed with a host family. I definitely recommend this to others. It helps you thread yourself into the culture so much more than living in a residence hall.

4.       What do you feel was the most beneficial part of your study abroad experience? 

The most beneficial part of my study abroad experience was definitely living with a host family. I was open to more of Toledo culture than I would have if I lived in a residence hall. 

5.       What are a few unique cultural things that you learned in the country where you study abroad?   (This could be traditions, slang, common sayings, cultural norms, etc.) 

I learned a lot of the Spanish slang. I also learned about Spanish cuisine, television, and middle school and high school culture. I learned about gender inequality regarding sports, professions, and everyday life.

6.       Were classes different or similar from your classes at NIU? 

The classes were similar, but very different all together. With my classes, I learned about the culture and literature of Toledo, Spain, but was able to experience all of it first hand, as my class toured local museums, cathedrals, etc.

    

Thank you Nicolas for sharing your experience abroad, and for all the great insights you provided for prospective study abroad students!

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Study Abroad Spotlight: Reese Wojtas at Oxford

The NIU Study Abroad office has asked study abroad alumni to be guest bloggers, and share their experiences abroad. Our Guest blogger for this week is Reese Wojtas!

1.    Where did you Study abroad, and how long was your study abroad experience? 

      I studied at Oxford for 5 weeks this summer.

2.     What was the one thing you were most worried/thought about the most while preparing for your trip?

        Not knowing how the weather would be in England, it's very unpredictable, so I was worried about not having what I needed as well as over packing/packing unnecessary clothing.

3.       What type of housing did you stay in? Would you recommend this to others studying abroad?

        My program stayed in on campus housing, they were Graduate dorms. I would recommend trying to do a program that has dorms for housing, because you'll have all the basic essentials you'd need. There was plenty of storage for my belongings, as well as my own bathroom, closet and shelves on the wall.

4.       What do you feel was the most beneficial part of your study abroad experience? 

       The most beneficial part of my study abroad experience was how it pushed me out of my comfort zone. Being forced to learn a new way of life, in an unfamiliar country, where I didn't know their social norms or how to navigate around taught me a lot about myself. I didn't know where anything was in the town, so it caused me to be more adventurous and to explore my new surroundings. It was such a euphoric experience. 

5.       What are a few unique cultural things that you learned in the country where you study abroad?   (This could be traditions, slang, common sayings, cultural norms, etc.) 

       This is silly, but the black coffee in Oxford was MUCH more bitter than the black coffee in the U.S. It was disgusting to drink. 

       I frequently would run into people that would speak more proper or pick words that were more formal. 

       When walking on a crowded sidewalk, people don't move out of the way to make room for you. I often times was forced to move into the street because people will only walk in a straight line, and won't move at all.  

6.       Were classes different or similar from your classes at NIU? 

       They were similar when it came to difficulty, but different in the fact that the class size is significantly smaller. My classes only had 6-8 people total, which was really nice, because it allowed for more free discussion and more questions. The classes were 2.5 hours long, rather than 50 minutes or an hour and 15 minutes. But on the bright side, we had at least one program field trip each week!

Thank you Reese for sharing your experience abroad, and for all the great insights you provided for prospective study abroad students!

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