The Penn Stater Magazine

And Now a Word from Our Students Across the Pond

March 9, 2010 at 6:03 pm Tina Hay Leave a comment

Journ major Aubrey Whelan is studying in France; she visited London during a break.

If you have a lot of time on your hands and you’re interested in a glimpse into what Penn State students today are doing, you might enjoy reading some of the blog entries written by Daily Collegian staff members who are studying abroad this semester.

The Collegian has collected them all in one location, and it’s fun to check in every couple of days to see who has written a new posting.

Reading them, you get the sense that the students are spending a little time in class, and a lot of time playing tourist: sightseeing, attempting to make crêpes, visiting pubs, and going on weekend beach getaways. And you can’t blame them—obviously, that’s part of what Study Abroad is supposed to be about: experiencing another country in all its dimensions, not just the classroom.

Actually, there’s also an entry by the mom of one of the students—Kim Sullivan (mother of journalism major Katie)—addressing this very point:

[O]ur adventurous daughter Katie … is supposedly taking classes at the University of Limerick in Ireland. I say supposedly because every time we talk to her she is rock climbing, traveling around Europe or attending practice for her new-found sport of rugby. She didn’t play rugby when she left the good old U.S. of A! She has been to Galway, Dublin, and this past weekend took a little jaunt to London. She is taking advantage of every opportunity that presents itself while she is on this journey. I am sure she studies while on the bus or plane or train.

The students are also expanding their comfort zones, which is also part of what Study Abroad is about. Here’s an excerpt from an entry by Lexi Simchak, a journalism major studying in South Africa:

I just got back from spending a week at another nature reserve called Mkambati. With no power and living in a remote location by a river, it was definitely a different experience. When we first arrived late at night (after one of our vans got stuck on the “road” leading to the lodge which was little more than a path beaten down by the animals) I opened the kitchen cabinet and a few cockroaches climbed out. I instantly thought, “What am I doing here?” However, within the next day, I began to appreciate this new way of living. We were greeted by monkeys sitting outside in the trees on a daily basis. … As I sat there looking out at the beautiful and vast landscape every day, I just couldn’t stop taking in the beauty and appreciating this life that I had in front of my eyes.

The Study Abroad blogs, by the way, are just one collection of blogs by the Collegian students. You can see the entire lineup here. Another one that I enjoy is called “Exposure” and features images by Collegian photographers; some of them are really, really good.

Tina Hay, editor

Entry filed under: Undergraduate education, Undergraduate students. Tags: Daily Collegian, Katie Sullivan, Kim Sullivan, Lexie Simchak, Study Abroad.