Student Blog

I still can't believe it, but here I am - China. Today officially marks one month that I've been away from home participating in a field school opportunity offered through my nursing program and traveling around China. To put into words what this time has been so far is seeming to be an impossible task. It's been a month of time change, language barriers and culture shock. A month of new smells, new food and new people. A month of realizing that a simple smile really is a universal language as I try and navigate myself around this giant country using sign language and interpretive gestures. I have learned so much during this field school experience so far - both related to the curriculum in which I participated in Shanghai but even more about myself.

I didn't know what to expect when embar...

This first week in Costa Rica has been very enjoyable. Flying for the first time has been very exciting and long. The first thing I noticed once we landed in Costa Rica was the extremely intense humidity. It’s like opening the door to the steam room at the swimming pool. The driving style is very different from driving in Canada. Pedestrians do not have the right of way, and there is constant honking in the streets. Drivers are also very aggressive not hesitating to cut each other off to get onto the road.

During this past week, I have been to San Jose, the dry Pacific coast, the mountain town of Monte Verde, La Fortuna, and just recently the Caribbean town of Tortugaro. The town of Monte Verde is very cool. To get to this place you ascend from the lowlands of the pacific coast up into the...

It was only a couple months ago that I packed my entire life into a suitcase, leaving Canada and everyone that I knew to begin my study abroad trip. Finally, I am beginning to get used to converting currencies in my head at the grocery store and having nearly everyone I talk to comment on my “Canadian accent.” School in England is very different from what I was expecting, but it is an experience to see how digital media courses are taught in a different country.

One of the hardest parts to wrap my head around academically were the assignments here; back in Canada it is common to have an assignment due every week for a class. In England, none of my classes had more than 2 assignments for the whole term, some of them only have 1 assignment worth 100%! Having assignments worth more definitely...

Why are you doing this? I recently attended a pre-departure workshop on building cultural competence and was asked this question. Each of the twenty-five or so attendees shared with the group their reason for participating in their respective field schools. Feeling a bit on the spot, I answered the first thing that came to mind: "I have always wanted to go to another country and volunteer, especially with children, and thought it was a great opportunity to do so through my program of study (dental hygiene)". After the workshop, I started to think more about that question. Why am I doing this? Why have I "always wanted to volunteer in another country"? Is it because it sounds like fun? What does that mean, exactly? 

Many of us don't take the time for self-reflection. In the digital age, our...