Hannah Kolber
Q&A
"I did not know one person going into my study abroad program. While this was something I wanted in a study abroad experience, I also had some concerns over finding a community of friends and like-minded people. Luckily, on Semester at Sea there were various clubs and groups I could join with people who had similar interests as me. In order to combat my concerns, I had to become comfortable stepping outside of my comfort zone."
I wanted to study abroad because I wanted to have the opportunity to immerse myself in the countries and cultures I so often learned about in the classroom. Many of my classes at Cal were on international policy, human rights, and global poverty. Semester at Sea allowed me to have the opportunity to immerse myself in what I was learning about.
When I was in Ghana, I had the opportunity to go to the Cape Coast slave castles that date back to the 1500s. At these slave castles, there were dungeons and holding cells that we were able to go into while on the tour. One of the dungeons was a holding cell for slaves who rebelled. This cell was in complete darkness with no air circulation. The mere two minutes I spent in there triggered sensations of claustrophobia. At the slave castle there was a door, regarded as "the door of no return." This is the door slaves walked out of as they boarded ships that took them Trans-Atlantic to the Americas, separating them from their families. This experience was an emotional one to say the least as I learned about the history of the slave trade in Ghana and how it still has a lasting impact on the country today.
I did not know one person going into my study abroad program. While this was something I wanted in a study abroad experience, I also had some concerns over finding a community of friends and like-minded people. Luckily, on Semester at Sea there were various clubs and groups I could join with people who had similar interests as me. In order to combat my concerns, I had to become comfortable stepping outside of my comfort zone.
I would wake up every morning around 7:30 and head to the dining hall for breakfast. After breakfast, if it was an "A" day, I would have my Global Studies class in the union. If it was a "B" day I would have my Urban Geography class. After class I would do some work and/or sit outside. I would then head to the dining hall for lunch. After lunch I would hang out with some friends, and either play cards, sit by the pool, or read. I would head to my second and last class of the day mid afternoon. During the evenings I would either attend a meeting for one of the student groups I was active in, or a lecture given by one of the faculty members.
I took four courses: Global Studies, International Social Welfare, Urban Geography, and Journalism, Peace and War. All of the classes were worth 3 units. The classes were very small and discussion based. There were no more than 20 students per class. In comparison to Berkeley classes, the content was a lot more broad and general.
Being able to travel the world and interact with different people and experience different cultures.
Studying abroad made me want to learn even more about the world. It has changed my perspective on a variety of topics ranging from sustainability to the environment to foreign policy. Studying abroad has increased my desire to possibly work abroad one day and pursue a career in foreign diplomacy or international affairs.
Studying abroad was one of the most memorable experiences of my undergraduate career. Speak to as many people as you can who had the opportunity to study abroad and utilize your resources. Start investigating programs early on.