UNCG Campus Weekly


Honors College, London’s Tower Bridge, and 11 wise tips

061516Feature_HonorsCollegeUNCG has lots of students studying abroad each semester and each summer. “There Be Dragons” is a blog featuring posts by UNCG Lloyd International Honors College students studying abroad. A recent post by Arjanai Miller, studying at Plymouth University, England, UK, gave some great advice on having a successful experience while studying abroad. The following are some excerpts:

1. Studying abroad doesn’t mean you have to change yourself. Instead, allow the experience to build character upon who you already are. When I first decided to study abroad, I thought of it as a chance to “makeover” who I was. You read books and see films about people who go overseas and come back home a different person. They make physically changes such as cutting their hair or changing their wardrobe and this supposedly brings about a new-found understanding of their purpose in life. How crazy is that? What does a shorter hair length or new clothes have to do with gaining a better understanding of who you are? Nothing at all. Instead of seeing this as an opportunity to change physically, allow the experience to change you internally. Then you will see the change you want to see.

She shares 10 more tips with equal amount of wisdom:

2. Say ‘yes’ to everything (that’s legal!). (One of my best moments from visiting Barcelona over break was climbing a mountain in Park Güell.)
3. If you have to choose between staying in alone and exploring, always choose exploring. You never know what you’ll find. (There is always something new and beautiful right around the corner.)
4. If you plan to visit other countries during breaks, always plan ahead.
5. Really allow yourself to indulge in the culture.
6. Do not be afraid to use resources provided by your host university.
7. If possible, join a club or sport!
8. While it’s great to visit popular landmarks, take time to explore the unknown hidden gems of your country.
9. You packed way too much.
10. Journal or blog about every experience!
11. Don’t let expectations ruin this experience. Create your own experience, don’t try to recreate something you saw on television!

Excepted from UNCG Lloyd International Honors College blog post by Arjanai Miller, studying at Plymouth University, England, UK.
She captioned the photo “A few UNCG students and I jumping on the London Bridge.” She is second from right.
Enjoy her full post at http://lihcdragonblog.blogspot.com/2016/04/arjanai-and-huxley-in-england.html