Capilano University Students Blogging Abroad

It’s just sunk in that we all only have a month left at school. The time goes by ridiculously quick. This may be one of the only times that I’ll say this but, I wish school goes on longer. Nope, I take that back. What I don’t take back though, is all the amazing times I’ve spend travelling with friends and experiences here in the city. The weather is starting to heat up here but it’s almost always too windy for skirts. This also means that we have even more excuses to eat gelato to cool off. My friend and I took the train into Paris this past weekend to visit the sights and do all the touristy things. Last weekend, it was Cap Ferret by the beach (where I always manage to sunburn even when no one else gets even a touch of a tan). Positive things about this study abroad and travelling experience: it has been the least stressful and most relaxed I think I’ve ever been. It’s basically one big six and a half month vacation of sorts. These blog posts that we have ...

It’s been awhile since I have written, I am too busy living in the moment. Since I’ve last written I’ve been lazing around in Aberdeen, and exploring our surroundings. Happy Birthday to Otto We celebrated Otto’s 22nd birthday. He got to wake up to a Star Wars decorated kitchen, with a yummy diabetic type 3 chocolate cake. Two layers of chocolate cake, chocolate icing, a middle layer of chocolate pudding, and topped with crushed Oreo’s. Would you like a glass of milk with that? We managed to make our way out to the bar to have a few drinks, and play board games, while not being so bored Cat in the Window Cafe We finally made it to the cat cafe, as some of you are probably shocked that I went to a cat cafe,     well I enjoyed myself. They have around 10 cats, from kittens to old grumpy cats. The rules imply that you are NOT allowed to pick them up, they have to come to you. We managed to accumulate a couple of them. One was a fluffy white cat, he would come running a...

  Yes, you could say that I’m living the dream. New Zealand has been amazing so far. The adrenaline of being in a new country is still present everyday. Everywhere I go is a new experience and is as exciting as the last. The Maori culture here is highly celebrated and I have been lucky enough to experience it up close.         New Zealand is beautiful and reminds me of home in Canada, although there are many differences (like the palm trees surrounding my backyard that make me feel like I am in a jungle). The house I am living in is in a suburb called Ponsonby. There are always things to do just a few minutes walk away and I am fortune enough to be living with great people, including Ruby who is also on exchange from Capilano. We are always finding things to do, from movies in the park, Auckland’s nightlife, biking, markets, and even adventuring off to new places away from Auckland on the weekends.   I didn’t know what to exp...

A study abroad program is a once in a lifetime experience that can be very rewarding. Though it's important to take into consideration the time and money that you need to put into a study abroad program, speaking from experience, the benefits can make all the preparation worth it. Though the thought of a study abroad program can be very exciting, you must take a step back and think about how the program benefits your education. Will the program help you obtain the credits you need to graduate? Will participating in the program slow down or accelerate your planned graduation date? Another element to think about is the length and effort that you need to put into the process of getting accepted into a study abroad program. Though you might be excited to get the show on the road, it can take a few months to get through applications, interviews and, if you get accepted, the payment and travel arrangement process. Another aspect of a study abroad program that you mig...

It has been officially 2 months of my travel abroad experience, and I must say everything is going great. I find that broadening my international horizons has made me grow as an individual. Considering this is my first time living on my own, I have learnt many new life lessons. It has been difficult, but I feel I have improved my time management skills. I try to balance my social and school life, make time to cook new foods, and keep up with laundry, and all other types of cleaning.   Oxford University I have become more accustomed to the education system in the U.K. I enjoy the fact that I have both tutorials and lectures. It makes each class easy to follow and succeed. There are also many feedback sessions for students. The professor can check any assignments that are being worked on numerous times, before the due date.   I look forward to my upcoming trips. Next week I plan on visiting my cousins in Milan. I will be there for one full week, hop...

It’s hard to wrap my mind around with where to start in this blog. I have been so stressed in trying to plan trips, start my coursework, and plan for what I’m going to do in the summer months. Our plan to take a trip to Ireland fell through since flights are way cheaper in April and May. My cousin also lives in Dublin so I have been trying to plan to stay with her. She is studying nursing so she is insanely busy and stressed with studying. Planning to visit her has become increasingly difficult and I’m worried I’ll miss out on the twenty pound round flight deals. Hopefully it will work out. If I could start this adventure from the beginning I would plan all my trips as early as possible. Starting my coursework ASAP would have also been ideal.   Erica and I did make it to Inverness, Lochness, and Elgin. This was our first real exploration of another area of Scotland, other than Stone Haven. Inverness was breathtaking, we had perfect weather while we were there, and the town ...