Natasha Fenton: How Many Continents Are There?

 

During my time abroad, I have met a lot of people from all around the world and it’s been really interesting learning about other cultures first hand.  It makes you realize that every culture is different and that it’s ok that not everyone is the same.  For example, the topic of how many continents there are has been brought up multiple times.  People from different countries have been taught differently; some people think there’s four or five, while we’re taught in Canada that there are seven.  This demonstrates that everyone views the world in different ways.  Truth be told, does it even matter how many continents there are?  What matters is that people understand that not everyone thinks the same as them or is taught the same things and can accept that. 

 

It’s important to understand how other cultures work, especially when working with people who are from other places around the world.  I did run into some cultural differences when working on a group project for one of my classes and it was definitely hard.  You have to understand where the other person is coming from and why they think that way.  I couldn’t be set in my Canadian ways and expect other people to do the same.  You have to adapt and change the way that things are done in order to be successful as a group.  I think that trying to understand other cultures and be accepting of them is an important lesson for people to take away when studying abroad.



Natasha is a third year BBA student studying abroad at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland.