Study Abroad Blog
At Bryant, we make it a high priority that our students understand the global society and global marketplace that we live in. One of the best ways to do this is by studying abroad. With programs available in more than 43 countries and the opportunity to attend the Sophomore International Experience, we hope that all of our students will spend time in another country and another culture before they graduate!
Follow some of our students as they travel throughout the world on a truly life-changing experience.
Italy
October 2008
Ciao a Tuttu!
Wow…where to begin. First, I’ll give you a little background about myself. My name is Kim and I’m currently a junior at Bryant where I’m majoring in marketing and management with a communication minor. Studying abroad has been something that I’ve always dreamed about doing way before I even entered college, and I’m so glad I made the decision because it truly is a once in a lifetime experience.
This semester I am studying abroad in Florence, Italy. I’ve been here for just over 6 weeks now, but the time is flying by! The culture here is also completely different and it took getting used to a first. The time difference of six hours really through me off at first, especially when I would talk to my friends and family, but now I am more than used to it.
My schedule runs very close to the semester at Bryant, but the classes here are a lot different. Classes only meet once a week for 2 ½ hours a week, so essentially they’re like night classes at Bryant. There are also a lot of fieldtrips that pertain to what you study in class. My favorite class is fashion retail buying concepts. For this class, we’ve been on fieldtrips to the Costume Gallery in the Pitti Palace and through the shopping district to analyze the windows of high end fashion stores.
So now, for Florence…it’s amazing! There is just so much history and art to explore here and not enough time to do it. I live in an apartment with 5 other girls who are from schools located in the Northeast of the United States. I included a picture of us all from one of the first nights we went out to dinner in Florence. I’m the one in the white dress all the way on the left. Since many of the buildings are so old in Florence, there are no elevators and I have to venture up and down 95 stairs each day…so I am definitely getting my exercise in, which is a good thing considering all the pasta, bread and pizza I’ve been eating here! I have to cook for myself since there is no meal plan offered for my school, so I’ve actually turned into quite the cook!
I’ve been also doing a lot of traveling around Italy. My favorite place so far was a trip I took to Capri, Possitano, and Pompeii. In Capri, I traveled I took a boat out to see the Blue Gratto, which is a cave where the light illuminates inside from the natural sunlight. I then took a row boat to go inside the Blue Gratto and even got the chance to go swimming in here. I’m lucky the water was so warm. When you get into the row boat, everyone has to lay down in order to fit into the whole of the cave. If the water is too choppy on a given day, no one can go in because the hole is that small.
I also traveled to Rome for a weekend, which was a lot of fun, but very different from Florence. It was a much bigger city and not as much as a walking city as Florence is. I visited the typical tourist sites of the coliseum, St Peter’s Basilica, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fontain(below).
There is so much to see and do in not only Florence, but the rest of Italy. Today marks our fall break and we have 10 days off from classes. I am traveling to Turin in northern Italy to participate in a food festival that only occurs every 2 years. From there I am going to France and Ireland, so watch out for some updates when I return!
Until Next time,
-Kim
China
October 2008
The past few weeks in Beijing have been absolutely amazing and together have been an experience like no other. Although I’ve been spending a lot of time with my Chinese language course and my contemporary issues course, I’ve been able to spend a lot of time traveling the country. Even though Beijing has been my favorite city, I’ve gotten the chance to spend some time in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Qingdao with a few trips to Zhenjiang, Xi’an, and Yan’an planned for the next few weeks.
A few weeks ago a had the opportunity to visit the Beijing 2008 Olympic complex. I’m sure you were able to catch a glimpse of the infamous Bird’s Nest and Water Cube during Augusts’ Olympic Games, but let me tell you, it’s a whole other experience to actually visit them. Although the complex itself may appear to be on the outskirts of Beijing, it’s actually built smack dab in the city. Even though the games were finished, there was still enough Olympic spirit present where we all felt like Olympic athletes that day.
The weekend before last, I packed my bags and jumped on a sleeper train to Shanghai. Although still a major Chinese city, it was nothing like Beijing. While Beijing is a city of relics and cultural tradition, Shanghai boasts of the latest technology and skyscrapers that seem to stretch miles high. Although it was great to experience the latest of China’s innovation and moderns, it was great to come home to good ol’ Beijing.
Last weekend, I did something that not many people will ever have the opportunity to do. Armed with hiking shoes and my backback, a group of us drove out of the city and spent the weekend hiking the Great Wall of China. On the first day, we spent the majority of the morning and afternoon hiking 10 km of the Wall. Even though I took dozens of pictures, not one of them can accurately describe the views and scenery we took in that day. I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of hiking the Great Wall which holds nearly a thousand years of history and which spans across hundreds of mountain ranges throughout China. The next morning, we all woke up around 4 AM and hiked a small trail through the woods to the highest guard tower of the Great Wall where we all watch the sunrise over the wall and surrounding mountains. Again, this was an unbelievable once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.
From what I’ve seen and learned in China thus far, I would absolutely recommend that you try to make the journey to China at least once in your life. Even if you have no interest in learning the language or studying the culture, the sights and thousands of years of history is amazing. A few years ago, I could have never seen myself spending any time in China, but thanks to the Sophomore International Experience, I can gladly say that my plans have changed. If it wasn’t for Bryant’s focus on traveling and learning and understanding world affairs, I don’t think I would have ever given myself this opportunity to live, learn, and play outside of the United States. So if anything, always keep an open mind and never be afraid to try new and exciting things.
Enjoy the blogs and keep an eye out for the next one!
Cheers,
Adam
September 2008
Hey Everyone!
My name is Adam Noga and I am a junior here at Bryant University. For my fall semester, I have decided to take my studies abroad to Beijing, China and couldn’t be happier with my choice. I’ve been here for two weeks now and even though I’m still getting used to my surroundings, I’m having a really great time. Although our first week here mainly served as an orientation to the program, we did a ton of exploring as a group as well as on our own. There are 15 other students in the Contemporary Issues Program that I am a part of and we’ve become really close.
We’ve been to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and many other famous destinations throughout the city. This past weekend, five of us decided to hop on an overnight train and spend a few days in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. We did some horseback riding, sampled some local cuisine, and even spent a night in a traditional Mongolian yurt. It was a great getaway from the big city and the grasslands were host to some of the most serene landscapes I have ever seen.
This week was our official first week of classes. My schedule is based off of a block rotation so right now I’m enrolled in two classes, Chinese History and Civilization and Chinese 101. I have never taken nor understand the language which has made for an interesting few days. As frustrating as it has been however, I can’t wait to learn the language! It’s just not the same not being able to communicate with anyone in a city of 15 million people. Well I’m off to do a little more exploring before I hit the books but be sure to check back soon- I can promise you that there is much more blogging to come! Until then… Zai jian!
