Gina Wang

I studied abroad in Toronto this summer and I really enjoyed it. I chose to study abroad because I always wanted to travel to Canada and the global internship program gave me the opportunity to intern and study at the same time.

There are a lot of cultural differences between the U.S and Canada. People are really nice and friendly in Canada. I've had help from many strangers on the street during two month of my internship.

There weren't any challenges during my experience. Everything was pretty similar to the U.S. I was able to quickly adapt to the new environment.

I went to work at 9 and spent my entire day in the office on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I went to class from 1-5 on Tuesday and Thursday. After class or work, I would go eat dinner with friends or cook at home. Occasionally, we would go to gym together or explore the city afterwards.

I took an online class, "Experimental Learning and Professional Development" as well as an in class course "The Canadian Census" at University of Toronto. There were a lot of writing and reading required which is kind of similar to some Berkeley classes.

I would say meeting 18 other Berkeley students and becoming friends with them.

I became more outgoing and extroverted. I start to love talking to people and I became more confident of myself in general.

I would definitely recommend study abroad to other students, and in fact, I have been telling my friends how beneficial it was to me and they should all consider it if possible. Canada is such a beautiful country and it is [perfect to visit especially during summer. The culture is pretty similar to the U.S and the city of Toronto has a lot to explore.