Why did you choose to learn abroad?
I knew deep down that this experience would change my life.
I learned to be more open to criticism, not to misplace my confidence, always take the meticulous, mundane steps to be adequately prepared, and above all be thankful that my professor, lab partner, and classmates were patient and forgiving.
What are the specific skills that you learned or developed?
How to use a coin laundry: I had never used one even in Canada. Ironically, I had to force myself to learn in a place where the instructions weren’t even in English.
Hands-on-ultrasound: My lab partner and I overcame a steep learning curve in order to assure the comfort of our participants who were daunted by the menacing looking equipment.
What benefits did you get from the experience?
Living with my classmates finally taught me that it’s possible to have more than one family. Living with my professor finally taught me that it’s possible to trust adults after almost a decade of having difficulties opening up.
Please, name 2 challenges that you faced and how you overcame them in your experience.
Language Barriers: When I shared with my professor that it was strange that I no longer had the burden of understanding what people were saying around me, he told me that “it was just like listening to music”.
Arriving at research locations unprepared: When I had forgotten a vital part of our equipment at our first research excursion, I learned to be more open to criticism, not to misplace my confidence, always take the meticulous, mundane steps to be adequately prepared, and above all be thankful that my professor, lab partner, and classmates were patient and forgiving.
Living with my classmates finally taught me that it’s possible to have more than one family.
Would you recommend learning abroad to a friend? Why?
Yes. Learning that the world is so much bigger than you think will leave you thankful.