My desire to Study Abroad started in my UNIV 150 class in my first semester as a freshman at NMSU. I still remember the day our teacher welcomed the representative from the Study Abroad office. While the presenter was showing us these amazing pictures and telling us her Study Abroad experiences, I immediately knew I wanted the same experience. At the beginning of my sophomore year I started looking for scholarships and different study abroad programs, trying to find one that would best suit my needs, and I finally found it. My destination was the Nagoya University of Foreign Studies in Japan.
Before studying abroad in Japan I had so many stereotypes about the country, but studying abroad in Japan made me see the country from a completely different perspective. Studying abroad is so much more than great pictures and experiences; studying abroad is being brave enough to leave your comfort zone and go explore a new country, it’s immersing yourself in a new culture and learning new customs and learning a language you never thought you’d speak. Studying abroad is making friendships and having amazing adventures with people from all over the world that will stay with you forever, but most importantly you learn to get rid of stereotypes and become a more open and thoughtful person.
Studying abroad changes your perspective of the world completely, and like Mary Anne Radmacher said, “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world”. After living in Japan for almost a year I can say that the stereotypes I had were so wrong, and thanks to this amazing country I have seen so many beautiful places, learned another language, made long lasting friends and found a new side of me.
Be sure to check out the next Study Abroad Fair on February 1st, from 10am to 2pm at Corbett Aggie Underground, and find out where you’ll have your own amazing experience. Go out and explore the world!