Student Blog

By Megan Bondurant

In a word, our trip was unbelizable. We were nine Grade 11 and 12 students from Edward Milne Community School (EMCS) traveling with our two Biology teachers to a crazy, wonderful, Central American country on a packed 8 day tour.

By Dorothy Barenscott, Ph.D.

By Susan Seto

Yes, you’ve made it! You’ve been accepted to study abroad. You’re dancing around in your kitchen while reading your acceptance letter out loud. It’s an incredible feeling, isn’t it?

Just as the adrenaline rush dies down, you realize this isn’t going to be cheap. However, don’t let this discourage you. With careful planning and preparation, you will be able to pursue your dream to go abroad.

In October 2014, several BC students took a break from their studies and flew to Taiwan to represent Canada in The Seminar on Youth Public Participation and International Humanitarianism in the Age of Globalization. This seminar was a hub for students around the globe to come together and share their experiences in international affairs and sustainable volunteerism. Some of the countries represented in the conference were the Dominican Republic, Ireland, New Zealand, Israel, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.

I’ll be embarking on my journey overseas in less than a month now, and things are starting to feel a lot more real. I’ve been planning for this exchange for over six months now, and these plans are all finally coming to fruition.

By Nadine Wilk

By Susan Seto

If you were to tell me five years ago that I would be living out of a suitcase for a year, I would think you were crazy. Last year, I decided to take a leap of faith to pursue my passion to go abroad.  It was a bold move to leave my career, apartment, and family and friends in Vancouver for the unfamiliar. Looking back, it was by far the best thing I did for myself in terms of personal and professional growth.

Life at ESADE Business School has finally begun! The first week of welcome has concluded and all I can say is, "overwhelming, exhausting and a lot of fun." 

The daily grind here in Barcelona, Spain is a little different than Vancouver, BC. I'm slowly adjusting to the walks to the metro station, scenic train ride and then the 20 minute walk through the suburb of Sant Cugat before finally arriving at campus. When I arrived at school, it was strange to be dressing up for "CV photos" and finding my assigned seat in class after five years of going to the office. 

On Sunday I will be celebrating an important milestone of my life. Exactly 10 years ago, on August 31, 2004, I landed in Vancouver to embark on a life-changing journey in this beautiful and welcoming country. Ever since, every day of my life has been eventful and memorable.

Recently, I read an article in the Atlantic called Living With Less. It is about the minimalist lifestyle, “living a simpler, less materialistic life”. I realized that was exactly one of the reasons why I love the experience of living and studying abroad. There is something very liberating and simultaneously terrifying about pairing down your life to a few essential items that fit into one suitcase and leaving the comforts of home to nourish your own personal and professional growth.