Study Abroad advice, one year later
Kari Phelan
Issue date: 1/26/06 Section: Features
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Starting Jan. 29, junior John Fleming will be studying at Napier University in Edinbourgh, Scotland for the semester. While he is slightly concerned about missing the people around campus, he is primarily looking forward to the different experience of living in a large Scottish city.
"Witt's a comfortable place right now," Fleming said. "I need to step outside that."
Fleming said he has never been to a big city, a big school, or Scotland, but is looking forward to living in a "totally foreign place." He said he plans on meeting many new people, absorbing the culture and nightlife, and traveling.
Fleming said he might "bounce over to Europe, run around over there a while." He said his uncle traveled to Europe and never came back because he loved it so much. He is currently living in Switzerland.
Senior Jeff Klukas studied in Senegal, a French-speaking country in West Africa, last spring. When he was preparing to leave at this time last year, Klukas had more fears than Fleming. Klukas was worried about speaking a foreign language as well as living in different kinds of conditions.
"I was worried about living in, Senegal, it's a poor country," Klukas said.
While the language barrier was difficult for him, Klukas said the whole experience is "not so much a conscious struggle. You don't have time to worry," he said, or "to step back and get freaked out."
Like Fleming, Klukas said he wanted to experience "something radically different" from Wittenberg. Klukas said he enjoyed the experimential academic setting and interacting with African natives.
Klukas said the most important advice he can give to people who are studying abroad is not to worry about missing Wittenberg experiences because "they won't change that much." However, he said it is important to "be aware that you are going to change." Klukas said people's "views on things" and even their "personality on some level" will change.
Also, Klukas said it is important to communicate often with people back home-to let people know what is happening, to share experiences with others, and to prepare them for personality changes.
"Everyone should study abroad," he added.
"Witt's a comfortable place right now," Fleming said. "I need to step outside that."
Fleming said he has never been to a big city, a big school, or Scotland, but is looking forward to living in a "totally foreign place." He said he plans on meeting many new people, absorbing the culture and nightlife, and traveling.
Fleming said he might "bounce over to Europe, run around over there a while." He said his uncle traveled to Europe and never came back because he loved it so much. He is currently living in Switzerland.
Senior Jeff Klukas studied in Senegal, a French-speaking country in West Africa, last spring. When he was preparing to leave at this time last year, Klukas had more fears than Fleming. Klukas was worried about speaking a foreign language as well as living in different kinds of conditions.
"I was worried about living in, Senegal, it's a poor country," Klukas said.
While the language barrier was difficult for him, Klukas said the whole experience is "not so much a conscious struggle. You don't have time to worry," he said, or "to step back and get freaked out."
Like Fleming, Klukas said he wanted to experience "something radically different" from Wittenberg. Klukas said he enjoyed the experimential academic setting and interacting with African natives.
Klukas said the most important advice he can give to people who are studying abroad is not to worry about missing Wittenberg experiences because "they won't change that much." However, he said it is important to "be aware that you are going to change." Klukas said people's "views on things" and even their "personality on some level" will change.
Also, Klukas said it is important to communicate often with people back home-to let people know what is happening, to share experiences with others, and to prepare them for personality changes.
"Everyone should study abroad," he added.
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