Story Location: Ireland
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Ten Steps to Complete Before You Study Abroad
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While聽studying abroad聽at University of Galway in Ireland, I聽have聽had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people and travel to so many amazing places.聽For me, this聽is聽a time to explore different countries and experience聽different cultures.聽I was excited to go, but also nervous to be so far from home. So, here are聽the聽ten steps I completed before I聽departed聽to聽make聽study聽abroad聽a little…
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I Belong Here: A First-Generation Experience Abroad
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When I first got to Galway, I was so nervous. I kept asking myself, can I really do this? I come from a family of Ethiopian immigrants. As a first-generation student, studying abroad felt impossible. Traveling wasn鈥檛 a regular thing for us growing up. Every summer, my friends would come back with stories of all…
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How the Challenges of Study Abroad Lead to Growth and Strength
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Studying abroad in Galway, Ireland, was my second time living internationally. The first time, I was fresh out of high school and became an au pair, a live-in nanny, in Rennes, France, for a year. If there is one thing I learned from both of my experiences abroad, it鈥檚 that growth comes with discomfort. Most…
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Unpacking the Gifts of Study Abroad in Ireland
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As I pack up my dorm room and take one last walk through Galway, I鈥檓 reflecting on more than just the items I鈥檓 cramming into my suitcase. This journey has left me with something intangible that will outlast souvenirs and photos. I thought the hardest part would be saying goodbye to Ireland, but in truth,…
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From Wallflower to Wanderer: How I Learned to Embrace Adventure
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Before studying abroad, I used to think adventure was meant for other people鈥攂old, fearless, extroverted people. I admired it from a distance, but stepping into the unknown felt overwhelming. I was the kind of person who preferred a quiet evening with a book over a night out and who felt a twinge of anxiety at…
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Treading Water: The First-Gen Study Abroad Experience
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Studying abroad as a first-generation college student feels a lot like being thrown into the deep end of a pool with no life raft and no map. I knew how to stay afloat, but I had no idea where I was going or what was beneath me. The excitement of being in a new country…
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Stepping Outside the Safety of Hometown
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Studying abroad was the first time in the past decade I had lived anywhere outside of Oberlin, Ohio. I grew up there and now attend Oberlin College. I was incredibly nervous to be in a completely new place, across the ocean from anyone I knew and any sense of familiarity. Gaining confidence to explore But…
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Preserving the Magic of Study Abroad
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Studying abroad is an unforgettable experience that has forever changed my life. Ireland, the people I鈥檝e met, my campus, even the weather are things I hope to never forget. Unfortunately, as time goes on, remembering details can be difficult. This is doubly true for someone like me who forgets about things as soon as I…
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At Home Studying Abroad in Galway, Ireland
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Blackberries and Basalt When I first arrived in Galway, I couldn鈥檛 help but compare the landscape to the trees, tidepools, and basalt I knew from my stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest. Just like in Washington state, blackberries wrap around handrails and riverbanks, and ferns unfurl on a trail near the University of Galway campus.…
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Finding a New Identity as a Student Athlete
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Throughout my entire life, most of my best friends have been from soccer. I spent so much time playing soccer growing up, and made lifelong friends doing it. Coming into college as a soccer player, I had 30 built in friends. I never really had to put myself out there to make friends. My whole…
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