Hoo's Abroad? Niki in Valencia!

Hoo's Abroad?

Niki in Valencia!

by Veronica Mercado

Niki Shumaker (CLAS '17) in Sevilla, Spain, in the royal alcazar.

Today we're going to find out more about study abroad in one of UVA's flagship global programs, UVA in Valencia. According to the Hispanic Studies in Valencia, Spain website, this program has "been created through the University of Virginia, which is responsible for the quality of the courses offered. All grades, transcripts, and credits earned in the UVA Hispanic Studies in Spain Program are accredited and forwarded by the University of Virginia to any other American institution of higher learning."

Niki Shumaker, a current second year in the College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Foreign Affairs with a minor in Business Spanish, just returned from the summer program in Valencia. This upcoming fall she will be interning with the Office of International Studies as a Study Abroad intern, helping other students take advantage of the many study abroad opportunities UVA offers!

What made you choose this place?
I chose Valencia because it offers courses for my Business Spanish minor, but in addition to that I have been studying Spanish since kindergarten, yet felt that I was missing out on truly understanding the culture. I think that one of the most important things in my life, especially as a Foreign Affairs student, is not only reading about other cultures, but to truly appreciate and experience them. I think this is the only way to truly understand cultures different from my own. Since I had always planned on minoring in Spanish, it was very important to me to take the opportunities available to do just that and really understand the roots and daily routines of Spanish life.

What classes are you taking?
I took Business Spanish (3040), Translation (4040), Business Practices of the Spanish Speaking World (4050), and Spanish Economy (4713). 
  

What was the biggest learning experience you have had?
The biggest learning experience I had while in Spain was how to accept that studying abroad is not being a tourist; it is much more rewarding than that. However, that means learning that your life will be filled with new patterns and eccentricities, and that you should not only learn to live with these, but to celebrate having them. It means having new favorite foods because you won’t have your favorite foods from home. It means having a new favorite place to run because you won’t have your favorite path in your neighborhood. It means replacing your cup of coffee with a shot of espresso with varying amounts of milk, and replacing your car with a bus or the metro. Instead of resisting these changes, the most important thing is to adapt, thrive, appreciate, and enjoy them.

Hoo's Abroad? Melissa on Semester at Sea!

Hoo's Abroad?

Melissa on Semester at Sea!

by Veronica Mercado

Today we're hearing from Melissa Sanford, a rising fourth year majoring in English and Religious Studies. She studied abroad with the Semester at Sea (SAS) program, which during the spring and fall semesters allows up to 720 undergraduates to travel across the globe on a cruise ship for up to 100 days. Melissa's voyage included travel to nine different countries over the course of 66 days. I studied on a cruise ship that went to England, Morocco, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Malta, France, Spain, and Portugal. We took classes when we were at sea, but in port we were free to explore either on our own or sign up for SAS-organized trips.

What made you choose this place?
I had heard so many great things about Semester at Sea from friends who had done the program in the past, and I knew that I wanted to use my study abroad experience to visit as many different places as possible. SAS allowed me to explore a region of the world that I had never seen before and learn about each place in a unique setting, all while providing a home base to come back to at the end of the day.  

What classes did you take? 
I took three classes - Travel Literature, Comparative Religion, and The United States and the Contemporary Mediterranean World. Semester at Sea offers a whole host of courses, ranging from sciences to Comm to literature and everything in between, but these were the three that most piqued my interest. Each class was tailored to the itinerary of the program, so the material we focused on was relevant to the next country we were visiting. It was really incredible to learn about something in the classroom and then step off the ship and experience it first-hand.

What was the biggest learning experience you had?
Besides learning about so many different people and cultures, I think the biggest learning experience I had was a lesson in independence. Never had I done something like this before, and I didn’t realize just how much I was capable of until I was hopping on last-minute trains to Sevilla or figuring out how to get back to the ship during a labor strike in Athens. Even after returning home this new self-confidence has stuck with me, and I definitely look at the world through different eyes after doing this program. Studying abroad changed my life, as cheesy as that is to say, and I’m so glad to have had this opportunity! I also now work for Semester at Sea here in Charlottesville, which is just another way that this experience has opened doors for me.