Student Blog

By: Victoria San Martin, Simon Fraser University, winner of the Spring 2023 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Scotland

Recently arriving home from studying abroad for a semester in Glasgow, Scotland makes me think of the multitude of feelings I experienced while there. I went from feeling like a stranger in Glasgow to building a life with new friends, professors, flatmates, and activities. Being back home in Burnaby, I’ve returned to friends and family, but have also realized how much has changed and will continue to do so. Studying abroad has given me practice in embracing change as something exciting, rather than scary, and adopting an “exploratory” mindset which is something I will continue to grow at home...

By: James Cunningham, University of the Fraser Valley, winner of the Spring 2024 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Austria & Germany

I am currently just over halfway through my study abroad experience in Austria/Germany. I have had the opportunity to spend time in world cities such as Vienna and Munich, as well as smaller Austrian cities such as Linz and Salzburg. I’ve delved into mountains, taken (quite literally) plains, trains, and automobiles around an entirely new continent, and had some life altering experiences up to this point in my study abroad period. While I am feeling confident in myself as a travelling student now, there was a great deal of culture shock that I had been warned about but was s...

By: Kate Slade, University of the Fraser Valley, winner of the Fall 2023 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Australia

It has been almost two months since I started my study abroad semester; wow, it has flown by! I am living in downtown Melbourne, Australia, a sharp contrast to the slow living of Vancouver Island. The first two weeks of my journey were spent in surf towns and definitely eased me into my new life here in Australia. These funky towns are something that feels familiar to me; I spent the two weeks visiting friends who have moved here. I think without that support, I would’ve definitely felt a lot more homesick. After two weeks, it was off to the big city of Melbourne! I typically don’t feel a whole...

By: Amanda Phillips, Capilano University, winner of the Spring 2023 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Austria

Saying, “I’m studying abroad in Vienna” was one thing. Physically being abroad was another. Now, sitting back home in my childhood bedroom in Vancouver is unbelievable. No amount of planning and dreaming about Vienna would have prepared me for the experience I had. Going home was a strange bittersweet mix of emotions. Of course I was excited to see family and friends, but I was also surprisingly upset at the realization that my European adventures are over. Since returning home, I cannot fathom all that I experienced.

Austria is a country that shares eight land boarders allowing me to visit mul...