BMC Students Reflect on Global Learning Experiences

Major

Chemistry (intended)

Program you used Global Bryn Mawr funds to attend

Institut D'Avignon Program

Program Location

Avignon, France

What led you to apply for this overseas program?

I enjoy learning about French culture and speak the language. I felt like this program was an opportunity for me to explore and acquire more knowledge when it comes to the French culture. Moreover, I wanted to visit France, meet new people and have a great summer and the Institut provided me with even more than I was expected.

What did you do while on your overseas program?

There is a lot to do in six weeks. During my time there, I study and explore some regions in France. I was in class during weekdays, and on weekends, the group and I visit historical sites such as "Palais des Papes" and some regions nearby like Marseille and Gordes. I visited lots of museums, took lots of pictures and met some great people. I learned so much about French history, culture and more. Also, I felt really lucky to attend the Avignon theater festival because it was fun but also very knowledgeable. 

What did you learn that surprised you?

Something that was surprising to me was the different accents in French. I learned and noticed that people from southern France speak differently from Northen France. It was surprising to me because I never thought they would be different accent in different regions of France. I knew that most francophone countries have different accents, but I did not expect it to be the same within France.

What was your favorite part of this experience?

My favorite part of this experience was definitely the Avignon Festival. It was interesting to see so many people showing off their talents in the streets and having a good time. It was amazing to see how there were so many different people from all over the world united in one small place to celebrate culture, arts, music, etc. 

What advice or guidance would you offer future students?

My advice for future students is to be themselves, do not be afraid to get out of their comfort zone, meet new people and even if they think their French is not good, still do their best to speak in French. Then, enjoy and please have a good time.

Major

Russian, French

Program you used Global Bryn Mawr funds to attend

Institut d’Avignon

Program Location

Avignon, France 

What led you to apply for this overseas program?

I became aware of the program’s highly acclaimed reputation through my sophomore year French teacher, Grace Armstrong. I knew that I wanted to have a French immersion experience, as I greatly cherished my Russian immersions experiences I had had to that date. 

What did you do while on your overseas program?

I attended two French classes Mon, Tue, Thurs and Friday, engaged in long conversations on a variety of topics over dinners with my host family, explored the city and neighboring cities with other students on the program, participated in the wide range of excursions offered to us on the weekends by the program and attended lectures with honored guest speakers scheduled every Wednesday. 

What did you learn that surprised you?

I gained a lot of perspective about the world thanks to my host parents love for intellectual conversations. I was surprised to find so much similarity between my views and the views of my 60 year old parents. 

What was your favorite part of this experience?

I believe my favorite part of the program was my engagement with my host family, but also the excursions they offered us, as the canoing was simply gorgeous. Even just being in the city of Avignon was a personal highlight for me. 

What advice or guidance would you offer future students?

Be prepared to hone into your time management organization skills. The program is packed with academic substance and cultural engagement which is both enticing, but also tiresome. There were times I wish I had more skillfully prepared to meet my schedule and felt as though I was losing a bit of steam. Abt exhaustion is definitely worth it, however. 

Major

Undecided 

Program you used Global Bryn Mawr funds to attend

Institut D'Avignon

Program Location

Avignon, France

What led you to apply for this overseas program?

I have always wanted to become fluent in French, and discovered a love of the country's culture and history in the process! The Avignon Program provides total immersion for it's students, allowing them to greatly improve their spoken French. It also allows you to experience life in France during a large festival. 

What did you do while on your overseas program?

I saw many plays put in during the Festival D'Avignon. I enjoyed the local cuisine and some French adaptations of international recipes. I met many amazing friends that share my love of French and even got to see some of the region's natural beauty. 

What did you learn that surprised you?

I learned how useful theatre can be when trying to learn a second language. I took a class in this program that required its students to memorize and perform several scenes from French plays. This greatly improved my oral French skills and my confidence in speaking it!

What was your favorite part of this experience?

I have always wanted to become fluent in French, and discovered a love of the country's culture and history in the process! The Avignon Program provides total immersion for it's students, allowing them to greatly improve their spoken French. It also allows you to experience life in France during a large festival. 

What advice or guidance would you offer future students?

Don't put to much pressure on yourself when learning another language. It is a marathon, not a sprint. And part of the experience is slowing down and enjoying the beauty of another place or culture. 

Major

International Studies

Program you used Global Bryn Mawr funds to attend

CUHK International Summer School

Program Location

Hong Kong

What led you to apply for this overseas program?

I wanted to apply to this program specifically to learn Cantonese. While I have taken Mandarin classes in the bi-co, I grew up speaking Cantonese with my father. As time has passed, I've started to lose my speaking skills. Preserving my culture and connection to my family has always been very important to me, especially as speaking Cantonese is becoming more and more uncommon in China. This was one of the few programs in the world that provided Cantonese lessons to international students, and I thought that this was a perfect time in my life to take advantage of that.

In addition, for the past year, I have been doing organizing and activism work in Philadelphia's Chinatown. Along with the group I co-founded, SPOC (Students for the Preservation of Chinatown), we have been fighting to oppose the construction of a sports arena less than one block away from Chinatown. In the same vein, my senior thesis will focus on the recording the history of activism and organizing in Chinatown through oral histories and interviews. Cantonese is the primary and/or only language spoken by many in the neighborhood. I wanted to do this program in order to improve my Cantonese skills, allowing myself to build trust and more community with the people I plan to interview.

What did you do while on your overseas program?

While on my program, I took rigorous Cantonese classes 5 days a week. I tried my best to immerse myself into the culture and campus of CUHK (Chinese University of Hong Kong). I originally planned to study abroad last semester, but ended up not being able to. I was very grateful that I was able to still have the experience of studying abroad and being an international student on a new campus.

When not in classes or on campus, I explored the city with the many friends I made on the program. I also spent time with family, who I have not seen in over 4 years due to Covid. Now that I'm older and have lived through a global pandemic, I feel like I am able to appreciate time with family more than I ever have before. I also met some locals who were doing grassroots community work and activism. We shared experiences with each other about organizing. It was so enriching to hear their stories and connect similarities between our experiences. 

What did you learn that surprised you?

Since I've never taken formal Cantonese lessons, I learned that I pronounce a lot of words differently than they are formally supposed to be pronounced. Many words that I've learned from my dad come from a specific accent or just pronunciations and sounds I've interpreted on my own while growing up and speaking the language. As someone who loves learning languages, this was extremely interesting to me. It made me think more about diasporas and how unique dialects and word pronunciations evolve depending on the time and location of a community. 

What was your favorite part of this experience?

I have been to Hong Kong multiple times growing up, but it has always been with my family. Whenever I've been to Hong Kong in the past, I've always relied on my dad to create itineraries and navigate around the city for me. This time, I was forced to not only navigate the city on my own, but also speak to people in Cantonese. Whether I was asking for directions or ordering food at a restaurant, I was forced to practice speaking a language I usually don't speak. This experience improved my language skills immensely. I also was able to discover so many new places on my own that I wouldn't have found had I been there with my family and with other people to guide me. 

What advice or guidance would you offer future students?

I would encourage all students who study abroad to take all the time they can to explore the place they are in. When you are abroad, time moves so fast and it's so easy to run out of time to do all of the things you planned to. Even getting lost is a great experience as you still get to see new things and explore places you might not have otherwise. Take risks and try things you've never done before!

Major

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, French and Francophone Studies minor

Program you used Global Bryn Mawr funds to attend

Institut d'Avignon Program

Program Location

Avignon, France

What led you to apply for this overseas program?

I was drawn to the Institut d’Avignon program because of the multitude of opportunities it provides. Improving my language skills has always been important to me, and having the opportunity to learn in an immersive and intensive environment was something that I was very interested in. Furthermore, living in a new country would allow me to explore new areas, while also helping me discover French culture and thus better understand the language. 

What did you do while on your overseas program?

While in Avignon, I took two French literature courses, learning alongside students from universities all around the US. On the weekends, the program organized excursions to various neighboring towns, allowing us to fully explore the region of Provence in our time there. Learning about the unique history and traditions of the towns helped me connect with French culture in a way that I hadn’t experienced before. I was also able to discover the world of French and Francophone theater through the Festival d’Avignon, one of the world’s largest theater events. Being able to participate in the festival while studying and performing French theater in one of my classes gave a whole other dimension to my learning and made it a very meaningful experience.

What did you learn that surprised you?

Participating in a program in a new country meant that every day was its own adventure. Learning how to navigate these everyday experiences and overcome challenges helped me become more independent. I also found that I pushed myself more to explore and take advantage of opportunities, such as participating in a French theater production - and not only once, but twice! It made it very rewarding to be able to look back at the end of the program and see everything that I had accomplished in my time there.

What was your favorite part of this experience?

One of the best parts of my time in Avignon was being able to stay with a host "mom". It provided a truly immersive experience in the language and culture, and allowed me to get to know Avignon from an insider’s perspective. From spending time with her grandchildren to learning words in Provençal over dinner, having my host mom welcome me into her home allowed me to share experiences that I never would have otherwise.

What advice or guidance would you offer future students?

I would tell future students to truly take advantage of the incredible opportunities that Bryn Mawr provides, specifically with regards to study abroad experiences. Be it the Institut d’Avignon, a 360° program, semester study abroad, or otherwise, going abroad can be an incredible experience. Professors are a wonderful way to learn more about specific department-related programs, while talking to students who have already participated in those programs can be a great way to get an inside perspective!

Major

French and International Studies

Program you used Global Bryn Mawr funds to attend

Institut d'Avignon 

Program Location

Avignon, France

What led you to apply for this overseas program?

It was recommended to my by my advisor in order to help with my immersion and French fluency before I spent the upcoming fall semester in Paris. 

What did you do while on your overseas program?

I took two classes, Postcolonial Literature from the Maghreb and French Theater Workshop. Both classes were entirely in French. I spent the rest of my time exploring Avignon and practicing my French with locals. The city wide theater festival was also occurring during my time there, so I also attended theater performances in French. 

What did you learn that surprised you?

I am extremely pleased with now my French speaking skills improved and how well prepared I am for my semester in Paris, where I am currently filling in this form from.

What was your favorite part of this experience?

Speaking with local French people, progressing in my level of French, living abroad for the first time, and solidifying my specialization for my major. Based on the class I took with Professor Edwige Crucifx, I have decided to focus on postcolonial studies and the prevailing legacy of colonialism as perpetuated by the United States and France.

What advice or guidance would you offer future students?

Studying abroad is an incredible experience and will enrich your studies, especially if you study foreign language or international studies. Adding an international perspective to your courses is invaluable for becoming a well developed academic and word citizen. 

Major

Russian/ International Studies

Program you used Global Bryn Mawr funds to attend

RLASP 

Program Location

Tbilisi, Georgia

What led you to apply for this overseas program?

For Russian Language Flagship students, the first study abroad experience is an important aspect of preparing for the year abroad. It provides an opportunity to test one's language skills within an immersive environment and identify strengths and weaknesses. Of course, study abroad is also known for improving the fluidity and vocabulary level of a language student. I certainly benefitted from all of these aspects. On a personal level, I applied to study in Tbilisi, Georgia because of an interest in Georgian culture which began with giving a presentation on the capital city in my intermediate Russian class. 

What did you do while on your overseas program?

During my stay in Georgia, I had the opportunity to explore historical and experience cultural elements both in and out of Tbilisi. With my class, I visited museums and churches in Tbilisi and in regions just outside of the city (like Kutaisi, Mtskheta and Gori). However, my favorite trip was one I took to Stepantsminda, a small town in the north near the Russian border, with a few friends on our second-to-last weekend in Georgia. With one of my friends, I hiked from the high-altitude town of Juta (the location of my picture!) and from the Gergeti church to the base of Mount Kazbeg. Experiencing the wondrous natural beauty of Georgia firsthand did not only inspire in me a new love for outdoor sports, but was the most culturally significant activity I participated in while in Georgia. The Georgians are incredibly proud of their country's nature (and rightly so)--so much so that it plays a large role in Georgian national identity. I also very much enjoyed the opportunity to escape from the hustle and bustle of Tbilisi, which allowed me to learn more about the perspectives and lives of Georgians living far from the city center. 

What did you learn that surprised you?

Language-immersion environments are well known for accelerating progress, and so I went in to my experience expecting instantaneous results. I saw much progress during my first week. The honeymoon phase didn't last long and quickly, I began to feel as though I wasn't learning anything new (or, at least, retaining it), even though I was, on paper, 'doing everything right'. Frustrated with what I saw as a failure, I lost confidence in speaking as much as I had been. A few days later, a Russian-speaking friend commented that she had noticed great improvement in my Russian language skills in only the few weeks we had known each other. Just because you aren't seeing progress (or progress at the rate you expected) doesn't mean you aren't making progress. It's hard to quantify our own progress when we are the ones moving the needle slightly each day--so plateauing language learners, don't lose hope!

What was your favorite part of this experience?

I am incredibly grateful to have met my wonderful Georgian host family, who immediately embraced me and my American housemate as part of their family. I treasure the mornings I spent with my host mom speaking in Russian about cultural differences between the US and Georgia, and the evenings spent with my American housemate and host sisters exploring Tbilisi's city center. When I reminisce about my Georgian summer, these are the memories I hold the closest.

What advice or guidance would you offer future students?

To future students applying to this program or a similar one (language immersion with a host family): take advantage of the resources surrounding you! Don't leave learning for the classroom: interact often with your host family and consume local media in your target language. Second: do your research! To make the most of your visit, put together a to-do list. While you will definitely learn of fun places to go and fun sights to see on the ground, it is best to do some preliminary research before you find yourself preoccupied with academic work. Finally, on the topic of research, my last advice goes out to those students who will be studying a language which is fraught with political tension and (potentially) regarded by the indigenous population with suspicion or as a sign of disrespect. As a Russian-language student in Tbilisi, I recognized early on that the Russian language was not accepted in many spaces, especially those dominated by the English-speaking, political active youth. Though this dynamic will limit your ability to practice your target language, remember that you are a guest in their country and respect their wishes. However, this doesn't mean that your experience can't provide you with meaningful immersion and opportunities to practice. As I mentioned, make use of your host family. Or, reach out into the community by finding cafes and clubs frequented by speakers of your language. Finally, know that studying abroad can be overwhelming. Whether it's culture shock, the anxiety of speaking your target language to native speakers, homesickness or a combination of the above, there is always some stressor that is bound to rear its ugly head, even during the best experience abroad. If/when these feelings arise, don't panic: let yourself rest and remember why you chose to study abroad in the first place. Reach out to friends or family and/or do something relaxing. Studying abroad can be tough at times, but it can also be very rewarding. Focus on academics, but don't forget to have fun!

Major

Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology

Program you used Global Bryn Mawr funds to attend

Cosa Excavations

Program Location

Gianella, Italy

What led you to apply for this overseas program?

As an archaeology major, I was very interested in getting hands-on experience in the field. I was able to do this through Cosa excavations, which is an archaeological site in Northern Italy. I specifically picked Cosa since it was a field school and would teach me the skills I will need for future digs.

What did you do while on your overseas program?

While I was there I worked at the excavation site. I would pick-axe, shovel, sort through dirt for finds, and clean pottery. We started digging at 9 a.m. each day and would take a break to wash pottery for an hour or two around 12 p.m. Then we would have lunch at 1 p.m. and continue excavating from 2-5 p.m. While I was there I had the opportunity to travel around Italy on the weekends. The excavation organized a trip to Rome on the second weekend of the program and on the other weekends, I traveled with the people I met from the program to Pisa, Naples, and Porto Santo Stefano. 

What did you learn that surprised you?

I learned that excavating is a lot more tedious of a process than I originally thought. There are a lot of factors that you have to pay attention to that I was unaware of. Such as using to Munsell soil book to Munsell the dirt every so often to see if the color has changed, indicating a new layer. 

What was your favorite part of this experience?

My favorite part of this experience was gaining hands-on field experience and the people I met there. Being able to get my hands dirty gave me a new perspective on Archaeology and helped me better understand the field. It was also great to meet other students just as interested in Archaeology as me.

What advice or guidance would you offer future students?

I would say, go for it. There is no reason you can't gain the experience you want in your chosen field. Apply to multiple places and just put yourself out there.

Major

Russian & Comparative Literature

Program you used Global Bryn Mawr funds to attend

Russian Language Area Studies Program

Program Location

Almaty, Kazakhstan

What led you to apply for this overseas program?

I applied for the Russian Language Area Studies Program in Almaty, Kazakhstan in order to improve my spoken Russian, to improve my grammar and written Russian, and to gain cultural awareness and language norms in a Russophone country. This program was highly recommended to me by other students in the Bryn Mawr Russian Department. I also am part of the Russian Flagship Program, which requires an undergraduate study abroad for the program.

What did you do while on your overseas program?

I completed the academic program and the cultural program while abroad, which involved four hours daily of classes as well as around 7 cultural experiences. The main classes consisted of grammar, speaking, writing, listening, phonetics, and reading, all of which helped me to improve my Russian. I participated in Kazakh Language classes, learning basic Kazakh words and grammar in order to communicate more fully. I attended all the cultural events, from musicals to hikes to films to a week-long trip to the southern part of Kazakhstan. During this time, I also explored the city of Almaty by myself and with friends, attending public concerts, shopping at bookstores, going to craft fairs, and hanging out with my host family. I spent a lot of time hanging out with my cohort, who I grew to know and love, in the various cafes and libraries around the city. One of my favorite experiences was going on the overnight train to the south of Kazakhstan, where we slept in bunker cars together. It was so much fun! I also spent time with our language partners, who were local students who volunteered to talk with us

What did you learn that surprised you?

I was surprised and excited to experience the LGBTQ+ community while overseas. While I was aware of the community in Almaty, I was not expecting it to be so welcoming to a student from abroad. I had a great time getting to connect with members of the LGBTQ+ community while abroad and learning about the similarities and differences between the community at home and abroad. It was a part of the study abroad experience that I did not think I would be able to experience, but I am extremely happy that I got to and grateful to everyone who was so welcoming to my friends and I.

What was your favorite part of this experience?

My favorite part of this experience was forming a bond with my host family. My host sister, Dariga, and I became extremely close over the course of the program, which helped to improve my language and conversational skills, but it also helped me to feel at home and connected to Almaty. She was close to my age, which helped us to bond over movies, tv shows, books, and social media, and we spent a lot of time together just hanging out. Her friendship helped me to get through my homesickness, the amount of homework, and the general cultural awareness that I had. I still remember my first day, where she walked me to and from the university and talked with me the whole way about how I was doing and what I wanted to do. She had such great advice and helped me to find things I was interested in from home in Almaty. Since Dariga and I were so close, I had an amazing experience.

What advice or guidance would you offer future students?

I would tell students to do the things that they love to do at home in their study abroad experience! Bonding over things you love helps the connections form quicker! I would also advise to try all the new things you can.