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[fairfieldstudyabroad-blog]

Chance of a Lifetime - Don’t Miss Out on the May St. Petersburg Faculty Led History Course!

As a first year student at Fairfield University, I never thought I would be able to have the chance to study abroad so early on in my college career. I always heard from other students that I would not be able to go until well into my third year, a fate that seemed so far from my reach. It was only until I was visiting one of the many required FYE (First Year Experience) sessions that I bumped, quite literally, into the Study Abroad table at the clubs and organizations fair. This little misencounter, however, was all it took for Ms. Pivarnik to introduce herself and the many brochures of Fairfield’s beloved study abroad programs. This is when I first heard about the amazing opportunity to travel across the world to Russia for a faculty-led program about the History of St. Petersburg. As I listened intently, I soon found out that in just two weeks I would also receive three credits to complete my second history course requirement. I mean it all sounded too good to be true. Immediately after, I sent a picture of the brochure to my mom as I knew I wanted to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And so, I applied. The giddy excitement I first felt when I learned about this program never left, especially after I found out I had been accepted!

I don’t think the realization of what I was doing and where I was going had hit me until my last final on May 8th. It took me packing up my room to realize I should also be packing for my trip that was in just THREE DAYS! Somehow I managed, and I showed up to the airport to see three other students waiting too. Prior to this encounter, I did not know one person attending this trip as I pinned my hopes on the fact that there would be students who were just as excited to explore the city of St Petersburg. So perhaps a tip I would share is to go up to the other students and just start talking. I know it may seem intimidating but by striking up a conversation with the group of students is what helped most for future day trips and nights out!

Although exhausted, when we finally got off that last flight, I was eager to begin these next ten days in a new, unknown city. Immediately after dropping our bags at the hotel, the group took on the streets as I began to absorb every fleeting sensation that came my way: the sound of Russian people talking, the sight of the beautiful and grand architecture, the touch of the cobblestone bridges. It was a lot to take in but as I continued to soak in all of the small treasures of this beautiful city, I was also amazed by the familiarity. It was as if it was all new but the same. Something I certainly did not expect to feel as I traveled across the globe to a country I have never visited before. I know one of my biggest concerns of the program was how the course would be structured. At the hotel, however, we were all surprised by how comfortable everything already felt to us. Every morning we met at 8:30 for breakfast, with a few exceptions on time, and we would try several traditional Russian dishes-- Blini, pancakes stuffed with cheese or meat; Syrniki, a fried pancake topped with farmer’s cheese or honey; boiled or fried eggs; porridge. While we had the time to eat our delicious breakfasts, Professor Syssoeva would teach us “Survival Russian”, an aspect of the course that soon became my favorite. I was surprised in how by the third day I was already retaining so much of the Russian language. Professor Syssoeva made learning the foreign language enjoyable and easy as she provided every student with a packet of basic words and phrases to practice. Afterwards, the group would get ready for the excursion of the day. The shape of an “O” was constantly spread across my face as I was left gaping at all the beautiful and historical sites we visited.

Professor McFadden and Professor Syssoeva not only picked the best sites for the group to visit, but as well as, amazing tour guides that told us about fortresses, palaces, art and political museums. The information we learned was then reinforced as we would return back to the hostel for our daily seminar. With few assigned readings per day and your honest opinion, these seminars were a great time to share between the group as I got to hear many other students’ perspectives. Following the seminar, the students were given the rest of the day to explore the surrounding city, to go shop in the malls, to go eat with each other and any other activity one saw fit. I LOVED everything about our schedule as the beautiful weather and long hours in the day let the group, and myself, become more familiar with our environment. As I mentioned briefly before, everyday we would have a set excursion for the group.  One of my favorite excursions that I need to include was the trip to the Hermitage State Museum.  Now, before we took the trek for the nearly three hour tour, I was briefly familiar about the size of the museum. I mean with a thousand rooms, three million pieces of art, and an ambitious eleven years to view each and every piece, I knew it wasn’t going to be a small museum. YET, until you begin to pass each room, then do you begin to realize the magnitude of the place. I mean floor to ceiling, every inch was covered with art spanning from a multitude of time periods. The preservation of this massive art collection over centuries is what is most unbelievable as St.Petersburg aims to protect its art, its culture.

From the time I woke up in the morning to nightfall, my time spent in St. Petersburg was one that left me with so many unforgettable memories. Before this trip, I had known no one and while I wasn’t necessarily nervous about it, I feel incredibly reassured to the group surrounding me. Perhaps one of the best feelings is when you know those around you are just as excited and willing to explore the city around you. Learning about the history and culture of such a prominent Russian city with two passionate professors was a huge aid as I constantly found myself falling in love with St. Petersburg. I cannot recommend enough to any student thinking about wanting to have a taste of study abroad to do this trip! I can firmly say that this trip was one of my top highlights of my first year at Fairfield University— as I brought more than just matryoshka dolls home.

Ema Taglic Psychology, Pre-Dental HI0276 St Petersburg, Russia Class of 2022

[fairfieldstudyabroad-blog]

My Faculty-Led Course in St. Petersburg, Russia

As a first year student at Fairfield University, I never thought I would be able to have the chance to study abroad so early on in my college career. I always heard from other students that I would not be able to go until well into my third year, a fate that seemed so far from my reach. It was only until I was visiting one of the many required FYE (First Year Experience) sessions that I bumped, quite literally, into the Study Abroad table at the clubs and organizations fair. This little misencounter, however, was all it took for Ms. Pivarnik to introduce herself and the many brochures of Fairfield’s beloved study abroad programs. This is when I first heard about the amazing opportunity to travel across the world to Russia for a faculty-led program about the History of St. Petersburg. As I listened intently, I soon found out that in just two weeks I would also receive three credits to complete my second history course requirement. I mean it all sounded too good to be true. Immediately after, I sent a picture of the brochure to my mom as I knew I wanted to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And so, I applied. The giddy excitement I first felt when I learned about this program never left, especially after I found out I had been accepted! I don’t think the realization of what I was doing and where I was going had hit me until my last final on May 8th. It took me packing up my room to realize I should also be packing for my trip that was in just THREE DAYS! Somehow I managed, and I showed up to the airport to see three other students waiting too. Prior to this encounter, I did not know one person attending this trip as I pinned my hopes on the fact that there would be students who were just as excited to explore the city of St Petersburg. So perhaps a tip I would share is to go up to the other students and just start talking. I know it may seem intimidating but by striking up a conversation with the group of students is what helped most for future day trips and nights out! Although exhausted, when we finally got off that last flight, I was eager to begin these next ten days in a new, unknown city. Immediately after dropping our bags at the hotel, the group took on the streets as I began to absorb every fleeting sensation that came my way: the sound of Russian people talking, the sight of the beautiful and grand architecture, the touch of the cobblestone bridges.

It was a lot to take in but as I continued to soak in all of the small treasures of this beautiful city, I was also amazed by the familiarity. It was as if it was all new but the same. Something I certainly did not expect to feel as I traveled across the globe to a country I have never visited before. I know one of my biggest concerns of the program was how the course would be structured. At the hotel, however, we were all surprised by how comfortable everything already felt to us. Every morning we met at 08:30 for breakfast, with a few exceptions on time, and we would try several traditional Russian dishes-- Blini, pancakes stuffed with cheese or meat; Syrniki, a fried pancake topped with farmer’s cheese or honey; boiled or fried eggs; porridge. While we had the time to eat our delicious breakfasts, Professor Syssoeva would teach us Survival Russian, an aspect of the course that soon became my favorite. I was surprised in how by the third day I was already retaining so much of the Russian language. Professor Syssoeva made learning the foreign language enjoyable and easy as she provided every student with a packet of basic words and phrases to practice. Afterwards, the group would get ready for the excursion of the day.

The shape of an “O” was constantly spread across my face as I was left gaping at all the beautiful and historical sites we visited. Professor McFadden and Professor Syssoeva not only picked the best sites for the group to visit, but as well as, amazing tour guides that told us about fortresses, palaces, art and political museums. The information we learned was then reinforced as we would return back to the hostel for our daily seminar. With few assigned readings per day and your honest opinion, these seminars were a great time to share between the group as I got to hear many other students’ perspectives. Following the seminar, the students were given the rest of the day to explore the surrounding city, to go shop in the malls, to go eat with each other and any other activity one saw fit. I LOVED everything about our schedule as the beautiful weather and long hours in the day let the group, and myself, become more familiar with our environment. As I mentioned briefly before, everyday we would have a set excursion for the group.  One of my favorite excursions that I need to include was the trip to the Hermitage State Museum. Now, before we took the trek for the nearly three hour tour, I was briefly familiar about the size of the museum. I mean with a thousand rooms, three million pieces of art, and an ambitious eleven years to view each and every piece, I knew it wasn’t going to be a small museum. YET, until you begin to pass each room, then do you begin to realize the magnitude of the place. I mean floor to ceiling, every inch was covered with art spanning from a multitude of time periods. The preservation of this massive art collection over centuries is what is most unbelievable as St.Petersburg aims to protect its art, its culture.  From the time I woke up in the morning to nightfall, my time spent in St. Petersburg was one that left me with so many unforgettable memories. Before this trip, I had known no one and while I wasn’t necessarily nervous about it, I feel incredibly reassured to the group surrounding me. Perhaps one of the best feelings is when you know those around you are just as excited and willing to explore the city around you. Learning about the history and culture of such a prominent Russian city with two passionate professors was a huge aid as I constantly found myself falling in love with St. Petersburg. I cannot recommend enough to any student thinking about wanting to have a taste of study abroad to do this trip! I can firmly say that this trip was one of my top highlights of my first year at Fairfield University— as I brought more than just matryoshka dolls home.

Ema Taglic Psychology, Pre-Dental HI0276 St Petersburg, Russia Class of 2022

[fairfieldstudyabroad-blog]

St. Petersburg 10 Day Faculty Led Program

[fairfieldstudyabroad-blog]

How Study Abroad Changed My Life

Every day was an adventure when I studied abroad in Galway, Ireland. I was blown away at all the culture I was immersed in during my experience. This invaluable first-hand exposure to different cultures truly changed my outlook on life. Studying abroad was much more than simply studying academics at the National University of Ireland, Galway. To me, studying abroad really gets its claim to fame from the education you get outside of the classroom. I can still hear the lively street music echoing down Quay Street in downtown Galway.

I can smell the fresh rain enhancing the lush green fields.

And I can sure taste that perfect pint of Guinness.

These are things that I would never be able to experience had I not choose to study abroad. It was an eye-opening experience seeing just how much the world has to offer. My adventure did not even stop at Irish culture, as I was able to transcend more boundaries than I could have ever imagined. I made life-long friends from Italy, Hungary, Pakistan, Palestine, Belgium, and more! Many of whom I keep in touch with today, hoping to visit each other in our respective countries soon. The best part was being able to experience all of this alongside a great group of Fairfield students. We all became very close sharing our adventures and what started out as a group of complete strangers ended up a family after just a few months’ time.

I feel that I can even go as far to call Galway “Home”. This close connection makes me constantly reflect on being abroad, which reminds me just how much there is to learn and gain from being exposed to different cultures in unfamiliar locations. I feel that I have become much more independent, mature, inclusive, and cultured from studying abroad. These are qualities that I wish to continue to improve upon throughout my career as an engineer. Hopefully I can also travel more in the future because I believe that first-hand experience is the best was to get a real-world education on top of academic learning. Overall, studying abroad has changed my life.

Thank you Fairfield, Thank you Study Abroad Faculty, and Thank you Ireland!

Johnathan Menz

Fairfield University 2018

Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics

[fairfieldstudyabroad-blog]

Study Abroad Reflections

           It’s strange to me that I’ve been back from my semester in Australia for over a year, and even more bizarre that I left for my semester in Belgium nearly a year ago as well. From the beginning of Freshman year, I knew that I wanted to study abroad; as an International Studies major, I was aware that my course outline allowed me to take advantage of doing a full year abroad. With that in mind, I saw the opportunity to have two distinctly different experiences. Fairfield’s program in Brisbane, Australia provided me with several core course requirements, and the CIEE Business, Communication, and Culture program in Brussels, Belgium would keep me on track with my major and minor.  

           When asked about which semester I liked more, I have a lot of trouble articulating a definitive answer because in almost every aspect, both Brisbane and Brussels were complete opposites. I went from a small program in a mid-size city (with amazing weather), to a larger program in the capital of Europe (with overcast skies). While I could go on about the differences between the two, a very important constant was my involvement at CrossFit gyms in both cities. Before leaving to study abroad I knew that being away from my home gym was going to be something I didn’t want to give up; I was able to find local CrossFit gyms that not only allowed me to train, but also to step outside of the study abroad ‘bubble’ many students find themselves in.

Last day at my gym in Brussels

I’m still connected with many of my Australian gym friends, several of whom were close to my age and in grad school. In Brussels, my gym was located next to the European Union – which meant I got to work out with parliamentarians from all over Europe. Finding these gyms was a way for me to explore a different part of my host city, and I was able to show friends from my programs new cafes and stores I’d wandered past. Getting involved in something unrelated to school while abroad gave me a more culturally enriching experience, where I was forming friendships with people I never would have meet if I didn’t push myself to stray away from my program. While I didn’t know it then, the week I spent camping in the Australian Outback would spark my curiosity and end up being the focus of my IL300 Capstone; I learned about the Australian Aboriginal culture and the issues they faced from the government in terms of representation and healthcare. Because of this experience, I was able to pick a thesis topic that I am extremely passionate about after having been there and speaking to those directly affected by systemic racism.

Studying abroad for the entirety of my Junior year was not as easy as many people would assume it to be; the courses I took in both countries were challenging, I had to deal with a lot of uncertainty, and most importantly, had to give up a full year at Fairfield. However, even with all of that in mind, I don’t regret my experience at all. I’m able to speak about what I took away from two semesters abroad in interviews and talking to potential students going abroad…but most importantly, I have a years’ worth of amazing memories and friendships that I’ll remember being central to my college experience.

Most of my CIEE program 

Last night in Brisbane

Rebecca Wise

Fairfield University 2018

International Studies/Communication

[fairfieldstudyabroad-blog]

It’s been almost a year since I left to study abroad in Florence, Italy for four months. People still ask all the time, “how was studying abroad?” and each time I say something along the lines of “it was amazing and I cannot wait to go back.” Usually people then ask places I’ve been and what I miss most, but no matter how many questions they ask there will never be enough time or enough words to describe to them the incredibly transforming experience that living in Italy truly was. I learned about different European cultures, how incredible real Italian food is, how to travel, work, and live in a foreign country, but I also learned a lot about myself and that is something that will stay with me years to come.

One experience that I will be forever grateful for is my internship in Florence. During my time studying abroad I was an intern for the Italian Committee for UNICEF in Florence. My work at the Italian Committee for UNICEF involved planning fundraising events and awareness raising events, while also assisting in research, and organizing the ongoing fundraising project called ‘La Pigotta’ in additional to seasonal fundraiser throughout the semester.

Not only did I learn about the compassion of the Italian people that I worked so closely with, but I also experienced a new type of independence and confidence in my ability to work alongside passionate and driven UNICEF employees and fellow student interns. I was able to make a real contribution to their mission through my own hard work, all while living abroad and commuting to work every day by crossing the Ponte Vecchio. It was a surreal experience. I had to balance work hours and responsibilities with school, day to day life activities, the adjustment of living abroad while making sure I spent every available moment traveling and seeing as much as I could.  It was at times exhausting but incredibly rewarding.

A favorite memory of mine was putting together a fundraiser and awareness raising event for Girls Education. It was such a fun and rewarding experience to plan this event and sharing what we are passionate about with our friends, fellow students, and the rest of the committee. I learned about the work that UNICEF does, as well as the status of children around the world. It was humbling work, but seeing our work come together in an event planned by my team was really special. While the traveling and the incredible things I got to see will always be something I can look back on, the feeling of accomplishment that my team and I felt is what I will never forget.

Besides enjoying my work as an intern, one of the best parts about my job was experiencing a completely different part of Florence life. I was lucky enough to walk over the beautiful Ponte Vecchio, past the Pitti Palace and through the quiet streets of Oltrarno to and from work every day. Working with local Florentines gave me the opportunity to experience the real day to day life in Florence beyond the city center and groups of tourists most study abroad students saw every day. I had the privilege to uniquely meet and work closely with locals. I had cappuccinos and lunch with my colleagues each week at the local bar where everyone knew each other by name. We would chat in the office over espresso breaks. We even had committee gatherings for the holidays and sometimes just for fun that always included homemade Italian foods and wines. They even introduced me to new places I never would have found on my own –some of which became my favorite places to go.

I had a unique study abroad experience because of my internship. It made studying abroad even more challenging but exciting. Florence taught me independence and a sense of confidence in myself that I didn’t know I was capable of. The experience of studying abroad changed my life and it also changed me. Not all of study abroad is easy and fun, but the person you are when you return will most definitely not be the same as the person you were when you left.