#nubloggers

[northeastern-sorahwang]

Cheering on our boys in March Madness all the way from Wales! I don't let studying abroad stop me from being part of the N Zone. Makes me so proud that I hear our cheers over the commentators every time I have to watch a game through a live stream. Huskies are the loudest fans you could ever ask for. ALL HAIL NORTHEASTERN!!

[introflessatessa]

CONGRATS ON YOUR ACCEPTANCES, NEW HUSKIES!

If I haven't liked your acceptance post yet, let me know! I and the rest of the bloggers are here if you have any questions about student life. Also I'm incredibly in awe of how smart you young pups are. Like, the accepted GPAs and test scores go up each year and there's no way I could've competed with all of you. Congrats once again!

[northeastern-jessicamertens]

EmpowerTrip Dubai: Day One

I survived a full day of travel across the world, and am successfully settled in Dubai! After refueling (through the perfect combination of a breakfast buffet and nap), we traveled to the One & Only Royal Mirage Resort where the Empower Dubai event will be held on Friday.  After a tour of the grounds and a beach-side lunch with the Global Officers (they’re President Aoun’s co-ops, and they’re doing amazing things around the world), event prep was in full swing. 

Made a quick pit stop to the Dubai Mall, which is the largest shopping mall in the world and is totally mind blowing. Plus the courtyard outside gives you great views of the Burj Khalifa, which is the tallest building in the world. 

Side note about Dubai: To me, Dubai is like a futuristic city that has been dropped in the middle of the desert, and it’s unlike any other city I've traveled to. A mix of culture, technology, and unbelievable beauty. A must see!

I get to spend tomorrow with an inspiring group of people, Northeastern’s Young Global Leaders. These alumni are making incredible differences around the world, so check my Twitter (@Jessica_Mertens) all day tomorrow for some live tweeting and inspiration. 

اتمنى لك ليلة هانئة! (That’s ‘Have a good night’ in Arabic!)

[northeastern-sorahwang]

Since I wrote a post about the five things I miss about being at Northeastern, I figured it was only appropriate if I wrote a post about the five things I love about studying abroad. As much as I may miss the convenience of having laundry bucks or Marino right around the corner, there is no experience like studying abroad and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm lucky to go to a school that emphasizes global experience so much.

1. Travel. Flying to the UK and Europe from the US is a long, expensive trip. The best thing to do while abroad is to take advantage of already being on this side of the pond. At Cardiff, we have a three-week Easter break rather than a typical one-week spring break like we have at home. You bet we're taking advantage of that time to travel and see as many places as possible. 2. Worldwide Friends. Something you forget until you actually arrive at wherever you're studying abroad is that this isn't just a destination for students in the US. There are students from all over the world who have chosen to spend a semester abroad as well. I've made friends from Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, just to name a few. I never thought I'd have a local Parisian friend ready to show me around Paris, and really, there's no better way to see a place than by a local. And of course, I now have friends in the UK that I must come back to visit. ;) 3. Different learning styles. This is definitely something that takes a little getting used to, especially when you're so accustomed to a certain learning style back at home. For journalism, I'm used to a very practical, hands-on approach. My classes here have been very theoretical and research-based. It's completely different, but I'm glad I'm getting another perspective of my field as well. 4. Local events. Being abroad means immersing yourself in things you never thought you'd experience -- or maybe didn't even know about a month ago. A couple weeks ago, I got to experience how an entire city shuts down for rugby when the 2015 Six Nations Tournament kicked off with a Wales vs. England game right here in Cardiff. This weekend, I'm looking forward to experiencing how the city celebrates St. David's Day, a national Welsh holiday. 5. Different culture. You get to truly embrace and experience a different culture, whether it means trying out all the local bakeries and pubs, or pretending to be Welsh for a night with face paint. You realize just how much is different from home, even down to the tiniest things you would never think of. (For example, I got a new watch here and the knob turns the opposite way -- it threw me off the first time I set the time!) I can't tell you how many laughs my flatmates and I have shared over miscommunications and learning about each other's lives.

[introflessatessa]

I don't even want to talk about how many layers I'm wearing right now.