Capilano University Students Blogging Abroad

I have to say the saying “better spending your time travelling 1000 miles than reading 1000 books” does make a lot of sense. You have no idea how much “going abroad” can give to you before you actually do it. I won’t just talk about it one-sided because all the best memories always contains not only beautiful things but also negative aspects. That is the real “study abroad”. I thought I could earn a new experience and make friends from other countries at the beginning. I realized I have to pay the price to achieve the goal I wanted. However, it wasn’t until I met troubles and problems in this completely new place and new school when I understood it more.   I think three things you have to know before you decide to go abroad. Firstly, y ou must know why you choose study abroad. You should be able to give reasons for the purposes that you go to a new place for one semester instead of the beautiful Vancouver. You’ll follow the reasons to motivate yourself to do the best ...

Is it your first time travelling on your own to another country for such a long time? It was mine. However, it did not make this experience abroad any harder, but rather fun and exciting. If you have made up your mind to go there already, then DO IT! You will certainly not regret it! Before I went there a friend of mine said “one of the best things about traveling is that we can always learn things that we did not expect we would.” She was totally right. I thought about a lot of things that would happen during this trip and how I would change emotionally and individually, but it was more than that.   Even though it was only five months, I have grown and mature in a way that I certainly did not expect I would. And it was the best take away from this trip for me. And one last thing is, have fun and enjoy every moment there!

After three months in Japan, I am starting to feel like my time here is running out. I have only one month left and so much to do and experience! I do also feel a bit homesick, but it’s not horrible or anything; I expected to feel some homesickness while abroad. I feel actually that I am doing really well considering this is my first time studying abroad and being away from my family and on my own for so long. At the beginning of June, the school sent us on a trip to Hiroshima, Miyajima, Kyoto, and Nara. They organized all our travel and accommodations for us and made it really easy. We got to ride the Shinkansen for the first time! You really don’t feel how fast you’re going when you ride it; only when you look out the window do you notice (I didn’t do much of that because it made me motion sick). When we arrived in Hiroshima, we took a local train to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Genbaku D ō mu (A-bomb Dome). Being there was an overwhelming and humbling experience. It ...

To all fellow students that are thinking of applying to study abroad: DO IT! This is the experience of a life time.   It is a great opportunity to get out and see the world, learn something new, make new friends and to discover who you are.   The study abroad program that Capilano University offers is really good, and gives you many different types of exchange programs to choose from and everyone in the Study Abroad office is really helpful. It is really exciting to go to another country and study a semester there. You learn so much about the culture, get to try new food, and see new things. You may never get to go to these places under any other circumstances, so why not go there now and go to school at the same time. I was super excited to go to Hawaii for my semester abroad. I was definitely a little nervous about having to move away from all my comforts of home and move to a new and very different place. This feeling is totally normal for everyone, an...

What started off as a countdown to when I would be back home in Canada, soon turned in to another country feeling like home. The whole time abroad went by so fast that it doesn’t even feel like it happened; I wish I could do it all over again! I remember crying before I left Canada because I was scared and unsure of this crazy decision I had just made; four and a half months later… I left England crying because every part of me did not want to leave. Anyone who is offered an exchange like this, will regret not taking advantage of it. Being giving this opportunity shows how fortunate we are in today’s world and there is no way to understand another culture or country other than to see and get a first-hand experience right in front of your own eyes. Not only did I travel to England, but also touched down in six nearby countries over a span of four and a half months which I am extremely proud of accomplishing. If a student needs to take a loan out, borrow some money or go into debt, ...

I’m typing this report while I’m on my flight back from Paris to Montreal, and I can’t help but to think of all the things and people I’m leaving behind (for now, I hope). In the past 4 months, I  earned a lot of things that I would never have a chance to encounter back at home. When I  applied for the study abroad program, I said the goal of this opportunity is to challenge myself. The challenge is to put myself outside of my comfort zone by putting myself in a country I’ve never been to, that have a language I don’t speak, and a culture I’ve never experienced. Challenge myself I have, and I left it behind with the fondest memory one could ask for . I’ m going through some of the pictures I took earlier on the trip, and I realized how clueless I was around the country, around my city, and in my host institute. As if those pictures were taken by a little boy with a camera going to school for the first time. A lot of those pictures lack intimacy and direction becaus...

Taking part in the study abroad program is something that I feel has been such an important part of my Capilano experience here as a student. The program is definitely something that students should try to incorporate into their studies. I remember a year ago feeling a bit discouraged with my current situation in Vancouver. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do after I graduated and felt I had no direction and needed a change. The study abroad program was a great way to have a change of scenery and take advantage of doing some travelling while still being able to gain credits. I had heard good things about the program and was thrilled when I heard I was able to participate. This program creates a chance to meet new friends, travel and experience different cultures. It also will help you discover new things ab out yourself as you will be put out of your element and faced with challenges while abroad. There are many different countries where the program is available and ...