Unlocking the vault: 2024 (USAC's Version)

In this episode, hosts Mason and Isela will celebrate transformative student stories from 2024 and share a few of their own personal takeaways and memorable adventures. Ranging from Korean Frisbee tournaments to Italian Riviera tours, the alumni stories they will share showcase the growth students experience through navigating challenges abroad, and the joy they discover while exploring a new environment and forging new friendships. This reflective finale offers inspiration and practical advice for prospective and returning study abroad students alike. 

Have an idea for a future episode or just want to learn more about study abroad? Email us at studyabroad@usac.edu.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Intro: Hello (Basque, Agur) ! Hi, how are you, welcome! (Spanish, hola que tal, bienvenidos) Hi (French, Salut). Hello (Korean, 안녕하세요) Hello, welcome (Czech, Ahoj). 

[00:00:10] Sophia DeYoung: Hello, and welcome back to THE Study Abroad Pod. 2024 is coming to an end and with that said, we want to end on a high note. USAC alumni Mason Najima and Isela Rodriguez will be your hosts today. They are going to be sharing some of the many amazing experiences students have had this year. We hope you enjoy.

[00:00:30] Isela Rodriguez: Hi everyone. Welcome to the final episode of 2024 for THE Study Abroad Pod. 

[00:00:36] Mason Najima: My name is Mason Najima and I attended the USAC Valencia program in 2017 and I'm joined by Isela. 

[00:00:43] Isela Rodriguez: Hi everyone. I'm Isela Rodriguez. I attended the USAC Seoul, South Korea program, and I'm super excited to be part of today's wrap up for the year.

[00:00:53] Mason Najima: Whether you're preparing for your own study abroad journey, or reminiscing about one, this episode is a celebration of the adventures that make global education so transformative. Let's dive in with some first impressions from some recent students.

[00:01:10] Mason Najima: Whether it's the stunning view when you first step off the plane, or you didn't realize you needed to pay to use the public toilet, or when you experience culture shock when you can't find ranch or peanut butter anywhere, these moments of realization and discovery stay with us forever. Sophia, a Reggio Emilia alumna, shared this memory on the podcast during our Secrets to Spend Less, Travel More episode.

[00:01:31] Mason Najima: Let's hear it. 

[00:01:33] Sophia DeYoung: For me, I had three other roommates, so there were four of us, so we would all go grocery shopping together. We would get our own individual food, but we would go in on items such as olive oil, seasonings, bread, milk. And coffee as well. So we had a shared cost a little bit because we wouldn't all need to finish that all in one ourselves.

[00:01:55] Danny Rhodes: Definitely. The little things like this may sound silly, um, but they really add up. For example, you could also, whether it's your roommates or those in your host city, you can also split things like toilet paper, dish soap. You could definitely save up on costs like that. 

[00:02:09] Sophia DeYoung: Yeah. I remember when we first landed, we had gone to our program housing site and we were all like, what's next?

[00:02:17] Sophia DeYoung: Food. We need to eat dinner. And we all looked at each other, eyes huge because none of us really knew italian. We knew the basic "Ciao" but that's about it. We were like, how are we going to last in a grocery store? Thankfully one was right around the block from us and we were able to go, but having each other to lean on definitely helped right over there. 

[00:02:40] Isela Rodriguez: Oh wow, I definitely resonate with that. I had a similar experience with like, the shock of things.

[00:02:46] Isela Rodriguez: When I first got off the plane in Korea, I had all the resources, USAC prepared me, I had guides and they told me what to do, and we, my friend and I stood in the airport for two hours, not knowing where to go or what to do, when in reality, if we would have just walked out of the airport, we could have grabbed a taxi within the first five minutes of landing and everything would have been okay.

[00:03:09] Isela Rodriguez: So, I definitely think that that first impression will forever stay within me and it definitely, made me be like, I can do this. I can do anything else. That actually reminds me of a similar story of a recent student we had on the podcast, Cesia. Let's hear her experience. 

[00:03:30] Cesia Cordies: Listen, I was terrified because I'd never taken, I mean, I've taken public transport technically, like when I was a kid with my mom, but I don't remember any of that, I was just following my mom.

[00:03:37] Cesia Cordies: So I just kind of took public transport with people who already understood it. And would ask them all sorts of annoying questions and they didn't always have answers. Which is really annoying because to them, some things I guess are just instinctual. Now that I have an idea of like how it works, it's super easy. I literally had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

[00:03:56] Isela Rodriguez: I'm, really glad that she shared about being nervous because I feel like I grew a lot while I was in Korea. And I gained so much personal growth in my experience of being nervous and not knowing what to do. Once I realized that those nerves go away, and I can accomplish anything I want to, it was so amazing just to see the amount of things that I could accomplish because I wasn't nervous or anxious trying to do something.

[00:04:26] Mason Najima: Study abroad is more than just academics. It's about going head first into new cultural spaces and building new connections that will forever change us. Student athletes have a variety of opportunities to challenge themselves abroad. This year, Evan ran a marathon in Prague, Czech Republic. 

[00:04:43] Isela Rodriguez: Celeste joined a Korean Ultimate Frisbee team.

[00:04:46] Isela Rodriguez: She made lifelong friends and she even competed in an international tournament. 

[00:04:51] Mason Najima: Another great example. Next, we will hear from Justin, who studied abroad at the USAC Chiang Mai program in Thailand. His friendships with Thai and international students at the campus gym gave him renewed confidence and inspired him to compete and win abroad.

[00:05:06] Mason Najima: Let's hear from him next. 

[00:05:08] Justin Simon: While training and sparring at the campus Muay Thai gym, I've gained bonds with fellow Thai students who urged me to showcase my skills in the Rod Muang games, confident in my abilities to win. The unwavering support of my counselors and peers from the USAC team, as well as Thai locals that I've encountered and built friendships with, have been very invaluable to me.

[00:05:35] Justin Simon: Their encouragement has fueled my determination, propelling me to compete in my first boxing match while I am studying abroad in Thailand. This has been such an amazing experience in my life, and I thank everyone involved for being a core part of this remarkable chapter in my life. Thank you ( Thai, ขอบคุณค่ะ).

[00:05:56] Isela Rodriguez: I love that story from Justin.

[00:05:58] Isela Rodriguez: That was so amazing to hear. That sense of growth and progress was shared by Thomas on the Traveling abroad energizes your identity episode of THE Pod. Let's hear his take on personal growth. 

[00:06:12] Thomas Jimenez: I think going into it, I didn't, I didn't expect that my cohort would be such a large part of my support system.

[00:06:22] Thomas Jimenez: Like I was completely living with people my age and, and it was just, It was so interesting because we were making our own choices, and we were being independent in our own way, and we were deciding what we wanted for dinner each night, and we were deciding where we were going to go, what route we were going to take to walk to school, and what we were going to do after, and budgeting our own money, all stuff that, like, I hope most of you guys are doing in college, but to a very different extent, and I think that helped a lot with me, assessing my priorities at home because once I got to Spain, they all shifted.

[00:07:01] Thomas Jimenez: And not in a bad way, but I think things that made me so anxious or, or things that I overthought so much at home, sort of like blissfully went away when I was in Spain, and not in a romanticized way, more of just like stuff that I held on so tightly to at home, I realized didn't matter to the extent that I thought it would, like, especially for me, I want to go to medical school.

[00:07:26] Thomas Jimenez: So I'm pursuing a career in the medical field and I want to be a doctor and there are so many things that are constantly, you know, rolling around in my head and circling and, and stuff like that. I find it so hard to step away from that. About my GPA, about my, my job, about my volunteer hours, about everything that's so rigid and structured in my daily life that I like have, I literally have like, A set schedule and a regimen and things that I know need to get done at a certain date because that keeps me sane at home.

[00:07:59] Thomas Jimenez: But then when I went to Spain, my only priority was that one class and making sure that I was fed and making sure that my friends were comfortable and we were hanging out and stuff like that. And then I realized things that I was holding on to so tightly at home. Just didn't seem as anxiety inducing.

[00:08:21] Thomas Jimenez: So when I got back, I was able to reassess some stuff and maybe hold on a little less tight to certain things or maybe care. I think it's important to care, but sometimes if you care too much, it's dangerous. So, um, I was able to really take a step back in Spain and then come back home and be like, wow, I have a different set of priorities.

[00:08:46] Thomas Jimenez: I definitely made some adjustments as needed, and I incorporated more healthier habits into my lifestyle, and that's because I went to Spain. And I don't think, I don't think that if I, if I never went to Spain, I don't think I would have made those necessary changes. 

[00:09:05] Mason Najima: You mentioned this before about the time you were in the airport.

[00:09:07] Mason Najima: My program, my USAC Valencia program in 2017 was the first time I actually left the country for the first time. So, it was definitely an eye opening experience and I really had to think on my feet and I really had to adjust to my surroundings and luckily I had a great group of friends that I met when I first got there that really helped me get through the semester.

[00:09:28] Isela Rodriguez: I feel like the people that I shared my program with were, like you said, my support system. I shared so much time traveling with them and we got so close traveling away from home, exploring the city you're in the new country. You're in. It can be hard and intimidating. You don't want to miss out on something special, but you also can't always plan for everything.

[00:09:51] Isela Rodriguez: I think people tend to focus on what can go wrong or surprise you when you're traveling, but unexpected things can also be positive. Walking off the beaten path can lead to special memories. Morgan shared a story on our blog from his time in Japan, and he sent us a clip so we can hear it straight from the source.

[00:10:10] Morgan Ramos: Me and a group of friends visited Arashiyama for a day trip, and the streets were packed with tourists. We noticed that the crowd abruptly cut off towards the end of the road, and we decided to grab some lunch at a little pizza shop. Which we noticed didn't have many people. We were seated by the owner of the restaurant who spoke fluent English.

[00:10:28] Morgan Ramos: And we talked to him about his background and he told us that he previously studied in Canada for two years. We chatted to him for a while and learned that he's half Italian and half Japanese. And he opened the shop because he wanted to bring both of his cultures together. The pizza was easily one of the best I've ever had and it was super cheap too.

[00:10:47] Mason Najima: Now, let's hear from Andrea, who studied abroad in Torino, Italy. She went on a USAC tour to the unforgettable Italian Riviera. Let's check it out. 

[00:10:56] Andrea Schiro: I'm never going to stop talking about this Italian Riviera excursion. When studying abroad with USAC, we had the option to sign up for a fully planned trip to the Italian Riviera.

[00:11:05] Andrea Schiro: It seemed like the perfect opportunity to spend a weekend traveling and exploring with all my best friends on the program. We got to see cute cities like Genoa, Santa Margarita, and Portofino, which are right on the coast, making it a great place for photos and relaxation. It was really nice to simply enjoy the trip, since the excursions and accommodations were already planned.

[00:11:22] Andrea Schiro: Our group also decided to add an extra day of traveling around the Cinque Terre, since we were so close by. It was one of my favorite trips while studying abroad, because we got to spend more time as a full group through dinners, exploring, and sightseeing. Which made it a really special weekend. 

[00:11:35] Isela Rodriguez: That pasta and the views and the ocean.

[00:11:38] Isela Rodriguez: It looks so pretty. I wish that I could go to Italy. 

[00:11:42] Mason Najima: Italy does look very gorgeous. But, I remember this one time in Valencia, we were walking down the beach and me and my friends just smelled this amazing aroma. So we followed our noses and it ended up being this paella place right on the beach and we just sat down and we knew we had to have some of it.

[00:11:59] Mason Najima: I think everyone probably feels that their study abroad location is the most special. Isela, if you had to pick a moment from when you were abroad that was your favorite, what would it be? 

[00:12:11] Isela Rodriguez: One of my favorite memories from when I was in Korea was when our class took a trip to Namsan Tower. Namsan Tower is the highest point in Seoul, you can see the beautiful views of the city and tradition is when you go visit, you take a lock and you write the name of everyone that's visiting together. And so I put a lock with my friend that I studied abroad with, but for me, this moment felt so special because I got to share it with all the people I was studying abroad with, but I also took a chance to go and explore on my own. And I went into a cafe that's in the tower and I kind of just sat and looked at the views. This was a moment when it kind of hit me that I was, in Korea, studying abroad, and I feel like you have these moments when you're studying abroad where this reality sets in. And for me, this was one of the biggest moments that happened.

[00:13:06] Isela Rodriguez: There are beautiful views, there are tourists, locals, lots of people visiting, and it just felt so special to be able to sit there on my own and have that experience. And then when I was ready, to go back with the group, and it's just one of my favorite memories from my time abroad. 

[00:13:23] Mason Najima: That's awesome. While we're on the topic of favorite moments, Olivia, who studied abroad in Lyon, France, shared a little bit about her favorite weekend trip in this clip from THE Study Abroad Pod's very, very first episode of the season, Exploring with Alumni.

[00:13:42] Olivia Braun: One instance I remember is when my, one of my best friends came to visit me. He was in the 101st Airborne Division in the military, and he really wanted to see Normandy, where that same division dropped during World War II. So we went there and it was like such a huge moment for him. I just think like creating, creating those memories with the people you care about is one of the biggest parts about studying abroad for me.

[00:14:06] Olivia Braun: Because those, those memories don't go away and you just, we still talk about it today. Like just everything we did there. So totally worth it in my opinion. 

[00:14:16] Mason Najima: That sounds like a very special memory she was able to make with her friend while she was in France. Very cool. Every good story needs an ending, and every journey teaches us lessons about ourselves, the world, and how to navigate it all.

[00:14:29] Mason Najima: Next, we're diving into advice from alumni, like practical tips from stretching a travel budget while making the most of your experience. 

[00:14:36] Isela Rodriguez: It was really hard to choose, but in the Secrets to Spend Less Travel More episode with Danny and Sophia, they shared a lot about budgeting and costs and here's a clip from it.

[00:14:48] Danny Rhodes: So for the week, I would take out like a hundred euros and I gave myself that guidance to say, you know, I'm not going to spend over a hundred euros this week. And it really helped me hold myself accountable. That way I could afford to do other things I wanted to do later on. 

[00:15:03] Sophia DeYoung: I also found that that helped me as well because I like to shop.

[00:15:07] Sophia DeYoung: I'm a very good shopper. I could be a personal shopper one day, honestly. But. That budget is important and a budget is a budget. So the cash aspect, having only cash, definitely saved my budget a lot of money. But also on top of that, pre departure, I had researched different credit cards that would work for me going abroad.

[00:15:29] Sophia DeYoung: It was really important for me to get a credit card that didn't have any international fees that also gave me some rewards and points. So I would get some cash back offers. Not everybody in my program had credit cards, but those people who did and had the credit cards without international fees, if we went out to dinner, they would put their car down and then we would give them money so then we could all save a little bit of money on those transaction fees.

[00:15:55] Danny Rhodes: Don't do what I did. I did no research for going abroad. It was my first time ever out of the country. And I only had my debit card. And on every single transaction, my bank would charge me like 1 percent of every single transaction. And those fees built up so quick. And I wasted so much money on those fees.

[00:16:13] Danny Rhodes: So definitely do your research ahead of time, like Sophia. 

[00:16:16] Mason Najima: Isn't it amazing how working together and connecting with friends for support can make such a difference? There are a number of ways that building relationships helps students. Not only financially, but also in terms of health. Something we heard from Marie on World Mental Health Day.

[00:16:31] Mason Najima: Let's revisit her advice for future students. 

[00:16:34] Marie Esedebe: Before coming, I heard all the time that, oh, studying abroad won't solve all your problems. And I kind of saw that as a challenge. And so in the beginning, that did work a bit for me. Yeah, it just did. I just kind of told myself that I could never feel sad here because I'm in a new country, I'm in a new environment, life is great just for that reason.

[00:16:52] Marie Esedebe: Um, and I was able to block out as many negative thoughts as I could and about a month in, it all kind of started to pile up on me just a little bit. Mental health is something I try and take pretty seriously. At my school, I would go to therapy every week and just really enjoy those check ins. I do therapy at home, so that was something I wanted to make sure I had set up here.

[00:17:13] Marie Esedebe: And so I've been able to start that through my program and have that covered under my insurance, so that has been also really helpful. But one of the most important things that has helped me has just been talking about it. I've been able to have really good discussions with some of my friends here, and some of my family as well, just about that loneliness, but also about ways that I can stay in touch with the family, being consistent with FaceTimes and things like that.

[00:17:36] Marie Esedebe: And then another kind of tip that I'd offer is to find the things that make you happy at home because chances are they're going to make you happy here. For me, just like sitting outside, like days like today, sitting with my friends, talking with my friends, playing board games, little things like that have kept me sane, have kept me feeling like myself. And I think that's one of the most important things is to make sure you don't lose touch with who you are and your goals and, and just enjoy the person that you are while you're here. 

[00:18:03] Isela Rodriguez: Marie studied abroad in Lyon, France, and I really appreciate that she was so vulnerable and was able to share her story, especially mental health.

[00:18:12] Isela Rodriguez: I'm super glad that she was able to get the support that she was looking for. 

[00:18:17] Mason Najima: I agree completely.

[00:18:22] Mason Najima: Brooke, who studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia, summed up her advice in this video she shared with us. Let's listen up. 

[00:18:30] Brooke Brengartner: Here are some of the best lessons I've learned from being abroad. Number one, do what you came here to do. I've realized that time is super short and your trip will go by so much faster than you had planned.

[00:18:42] Brooke Brengartner: Budget your money so that you can make the things happen that you came here to do. Go to campus events. Make your friends early on, because the friends that you meet in the first week are probably the ones that you'll stick with through your entire trip. Plan for some free days to just wander. I've found some of the best sites and activities by just wandering and finding my way there without a schedule.

[00:19:05] Brooke Brengartner: I know this sounds goofy, but stay awake on car rides. Take a look out the window and enjoy the view. It's not always just about the destination. Go out on your own. I've found that I've learned the most by going out on my own and learning the public transportation and just overall understanding the lay of the land.

[00:19:24] Brooke Brengartner: Finally, don't be so hard on yourself. You're in a new environment and you're doing great. You got here in the first place and that's all that matters.

[00:19:37] Mason Najima: And finally, We want to share one more piece of advice from another phenomenal student who studied abroad in Alicante during one of our January winter sessions. This is Rabiah. 

[00:19:48] Rabiah Na'Allah: So, like, before I did this study abroad trip, I thought about it, but, like, my outlook, and, like, also this is to anybody who is, who can identify as well.

[00:19:59] Rabiah Na'Allah: I would love to visit this country, but I'm Black, and they're going to be racist, so I don't know if I should go. And But like, if you have that mindset, you better not step foot in anywhere because I feel like anywhere that you go, you can encounter people that may be hateful or maybe some type of way towards your identity.

[00:20:18] Rabiah Na'Allah: It's, you know, it's kind of like, it's kind of like, okay, so what, you know, what do I do with that information? How do I navigate with that information, with that reality? People always will have something to say about who you are. Knowing that. It's just so important to just do you, I feel like. And I feel like that's what I did.

[00:20:36] Rabiah Na'Allah: I feel like we were just all so dedicated on having a good time, having fun. I kind of had this like mental sit down with myself and I decided that I'm in Spain. Like I, let me just go out and, you know, do stuff with my friends because I know that I don't want to regret anything.

[00:20:58] Mason Najima: One of the last points I want to mention is that it's important to ask for help when you need it. Marie mentioned it in her story, and even though it can be intimidating, it is important. 

[00:21:08] Isela Rodriguez: Yeah, I wish we would have asked for help when we were stuck at the airport. Honestly, towards the end of the trip we were really okay with it, but in the beginning it was really scary.

[00:21:17] Mason Najima: Yes, exactly. Everyone has something to learn and everyone needs help. Sometimes, like, when I was at the train station, I just have no idea where I needed to go or where I needed to be. I wasn't even sure if I was in the right place. And, of course, they have people there just for that reason. They, Can direct you the right way that you need to go.

[00:21:37] Mason Najima: All you have to do is build up the courage and ask. And that's their job. I mean, that's what they're there for. They're there to support you. 

[00:21:45] Isela Rodriguez: Do you feel like towards the end of your trip, it was easier to ask for help? 

[00:21:49] Mason Najima: Yes, absolutely. Just being like, this is how it is. I just having the humility to be like, yeah, I don't know what is going on.

[00:21:58] Mason Najima: I don't know what to do. Like, please help me. And most people were really nice about it. 

[00:22:03] Isela Rodriguez: Wow, I am in awe of just how many amazing students studied abroad this year. Hearing all their stories, seeing all their pictures makes me want to go again. 

[00:22:13] Mason Najima: And we only just scratched the surface. There are so many more experiences.

[00:22:18] Mason Najima: It would have been impossible to fit it all into this episode. 

[00:22:21] Isela Rodriguez: I do want to remind everyone that the full episodes and blog posts you heard about today are available online, and if there was a student you found extra inspiring, let us know if we should maybe feature them again or bring them onto the podcast if we haven't got the chance to interview them yet.

[00:22:38] Mason Najima: Yes, definitely. Let us know. I'd like to hear more from Justin. 

[00:22:42] Isela Rodriguez: Thank you so much for listening today. We hope these stories inspired you as much as they inspired us. 

[00:22:48] Mason Najima: Thank you and see you next year. 

[00:22:52] Sophia DeYoung: Thank you for listening to The Study Abroad Pod, a podcast brought to you by the University Studies Abroad Consortium.

[00:22:58] Sophia DeYoung: Please listen, subscribe, and review us on Buzzsprout or wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow USAC on all of your favorite social media platforms at studyabroadusac. com. And if you have an idea for a future episode or want to learn more about study abroad, you can email us at studyabroad at usac.edu.