Rice. Research. Karaoke. The Philippines! #TBT #HogsAbroad

It’s a place full of academic opportunity and fun. A country of picture worthy landscapes, scenic beaches, and exotic cuisine. A place yo meet friendly and hospitable people everywhere you go. In order to adjust to daily life, I had to take a small leap out of my comfort zone. Let’s just say, I can now bathe myself using only four gallons of water and a bucket. Mabuhay!

This experience enhanced my knowledge of data collection, data analysis, and research tools. I created a survey from scratch to conduct face-to-face interviews with 100 community farmers. This research project broadened my exposure to research tools such as Statistical Analysis System (SAS) and manual random sampling. Due to the nature of my study, I had the pleasure to work with multiple people from different departments across Visayas State University. Everybody, from university affiliates to community farmers, truly went above and beyond to make sure that I had all of the information that I could possibly need for my research.

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Learn more about studying abroad as a Bumpers college student at: http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/programs/international-programs/index.php

 

Use our search to look for programs in all colleges, in more than 40 countries, at: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

The Pre-Destination #TBT #HogsAbroad

Hey! My name is Savanna Sluyter and I am an Apparel Studies student at the University of Arkansas. I’ve always had a passion for fashion as well as Italy, so when I had the opportunity to study abroad in one of the greatest countries, my own personal opinion; I had no choice but to take it. I stumbled upon SAI’s fashion program through the U of A, and truthfully the hardest part is actually deciding to go.

Everyone wants to study abroad but when you actually get the chance, most will freeze up and decide that it will be safer, or don’t want to dedicate the time or the money to something so fleeting. But I was told by many friends that it would be the perfect way to break out of my shell, further my education, and experience something that I would unlikely be able to do later in life.

Ok. I have chosen to go to Milan, Italy, what now? I have three pieces of advice for anyone who is planning on taking the leap.

Do Not Procrastinate

You cannot possibly spend months of your life in a foreign country if you aren’t able to figure out the application process. If it’s difficult, don’t be afraid to ask, that’s what the study abroad office is there for. I emailed my advisor at least twice a week for six months straight, and hey she hasn’t blocked me yet. And I promise that you will feel so amazing when application deadlines are coming up, all your friends are freaking out because they haven’t done it yet, and your just straight chillin.

Save Money and Scholarships:

I’m not gonna lie, studying abroad is a huge tug on your wallet but anything is possible whenever you put your mind to it. Apply for everything, even if you don’t think you perfectly match the scholarship. But you never know.

Research, Research, Research:

Don’t show up knowing absolutely nothing about the culture, food, or location. Being prepared is the best thing you could possibly do for yourself.

It should also be noted that I decided to study abroad with SAI in Milan, Italy at the fine arts school Nuova Accademia di Bella Arti where I studied fashion management and trend scouting for 4 weeks in the summer of 2014.

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Use our search to look for programs like this one, as well as other opportunities in more than 40 countries, at: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Japan – Kyudo and Tamano Homestay #HogsAbroad #TBT

Today's Throwback Thursday post pays homage to all those students who value studying abroad enough to "give it a shot"...

Today, the JSAP 2014 group enjoyed visiting Hibi Elementary for their Hello America program. My home stay mother picked me and a few other students up and took us to our Kyudo lesson. Kyudo involves an ancient bow and arrow practice that dates back to 250 B.C. The instructors showed strength and patience in the act of firing the tall wooden bows with precise aim, burying it into their targets. Soon it came time for us to give it a shot (literally).

 
I stepped up and tried to fire the bow by pulling back with all my strength. I released it and the arrow flew a little to the right of the target. The second time I pulled back the bow, my shoulder popped, making me feel uncomfortable about firing the bow again. However, the Kyudo instructors thought we performed so well on our preliminary lessons that they gave us an opportunity to fire on the farther targets.

I realized this was my opportunity to show Stapp what I was made of – true archer material. I honed my inner Kyudo strength and fired the bow with some serious power. The arrow flew through the air, twanging all the way until it came to rest, imbedded in the target. I did it! I hit the target. Stapp later hit a bulls-eye and decided to rub it in until it became time for us to leave. I got in the car with Aya-san and we headed to her house for the Japanese barbecue party my family planned for dinner.

When I saw my dad, he again informed me to go downstairs and “rest slowly” until the food was prepared. I went to my room and took a brief nap until I heard my home stay grandparents arrive at the house. I then played card games with my little siblings and their friends until my dad fired up the grill. Soon enough, we were eating delicious Japanese barbecue, eating rice and drinking biru until deep into the night.

We continued to discuss cultural differences until a man from the Tamano City TV Station arrived to interview my family and I on our study abroad experiences. We continued to drink and eat food late into the night until my exhaustion finally overtook me. I presented my gifts to my parents and siblings and I really think they liked them a lot! They were very grateful and would not stop thanking me until I showered and went to bed at 10:30 p.m.


When he went to Japan, Marty was a sophomore in the Sam M. Walton College of Business studying Business Finance, Fine Art Ceramics, with a minor in Economics.
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To find out more about the U of A International Business in Japan program, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/wcobjapan

My Solo Summer in Belgium #TBT #HogsAbroad

This summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Ghent, Belgium for three months to conduct a part of my honors thesis research at the University of Ghent (UGent).  My project dealt with the development and analysis of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)-rich shortenings and chocolate products.  CLA is a healthy fatty acid that has been shown to combat heart disease, obesity and diabetes.  Soy oil can be processed so that some of its fatty acids become CLA, and then it is referred to as CLA-rich soy oil.

I developed a series of CLA-rich shortenings at the University of Arkansas during the spring 2014 semester and shipped them to Ghent where I would work with them during the summer.  In Belgium, I conducted a series of tests on these shortening samples to compare their physical properties to those of shortenings that you could buy in the store (a.k.a. Crisco).  While I was at UGent, I also had the opportunity to make chocolate bars and chocolate pastes where I replaced a less healthy fat (cocoa butter and palm oil) with the CLA-rich oil.  I compared the physical properties of these chocolates to those of chocolates made with cocoa butter/palm oil.  However, I promise that my study abroad experience was a lot more fun than this paragraph makes it sound!

I was not traveling with a group or a specific program this summer, so when I arrived in Belgium, I did not know anybody!  I flew in to the Brussels airport and had to take a train to Ghent, the city where I would live.  The train ride was only 30 minutes long, but it was very challenging for me to figure this out because, being from the South, I was not used to public transportation.  I then had to take a taxi from the train station to the house where I would be living.  Once I arrived at the house, everything got better.  I lived with a host family, who made me feel very welcome and eased some of my initial misgivings about being alone in a new country.

I began working at the university a few days after I arrived.  I had been communicating with the professor I would be working with for a while before that, so my whole project was already laid out and I was able to start working immediately.  A majority of the summer consisted of me running experiments in the lab to compare my samples to each other, but there were a few deviations from this pattern.  For instance, I had to make the chocolate products that I would be analyzing.  UGent has an entire laboratory dedicated to the production of chocolate, appropriately named the Cacao Lab, and I got to work in this lab and learn the process of making chocolate from beginning to end.  As I’m sure you’re aware, Belgium is known for its chocolates, so for me to be able to learn chocolate-making in Belgium was amazing!

Near the end of July, the university was closed for about one week for Gentse Feesten, a festival that encompassed the entire city of Gent.  There were many booths set up where you could buy food and drinks and many local and international bands were playing concerts.  This happens every year and it was a great way to experience the unique culture of the city I lived in.

I left Belgium to come back to the U.S. in mid-August.  During my three months there, I was able to complete all of my research, make friends from all over the world and experience life in a beautiful city with a unique culture!

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Learn more about studying abroad as a Bumpers college student at: http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/programs/international-programs/index.php

 

Use our search to look for programs in all colleges, in more than 40 countries, at: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

A Summer in Scotland #TBT #HogsAbroad

It's Thursday and that means we get to relive old study abroad posts! Here's a post by Morgan about the value of having an internship abroad...

My name is Morgan Large, a master’s student in agricultural and extension education, and during my summer, I spent 10 weeks studying abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland. My internship at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) allowed me to work in the college’s communications unit alongside agricultural communications professionals. The internship combined some of the things I love which are traveling, the field of communications and agriculture.

My supervisor made sure that I was able to participate in a plethora of communications related projects. I was able to conduct a website evaluation, manage social media accounts, write news stories, take photos, attend agricultural shows and workshops, conduct surveys, interact with the public and more. I found a good balance working in the office and being out on location for different assignments. The skills I learned and the skills I improved upon along with the variety of projects I was able to participate in was immeasurable and invaluable. I truly enjoyed my time as an intern at SRUC.

I was pretty busy throughout the workweek, but I made sure to make the most of my weekends. I spent time exploring the city of Edinburgh, walking on the sandy coastal beaches, seeing castle after castle and getting a true feel for the Scottish culture and people. In just 10 short weeks, I was able to visit almost every corner of Scotland and take in all of its beauty. I loved traveling every second I got and seeing the Scottish countryside dotted with sheep and cattle during my time there.

Study abroad is what you make of it, and I made sure I had an amazing time. This experience meant the world to me, and I fully reinforce that studying abroad, whether taking courses or completing an internship, is worth every penny and minute away from home because the benefits you reap from the study abroad experience both personally and professionally far outweigh possible fears and financial constraints.

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Learn more about studying abroad as a Bumpers college student at: http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/programs/international-programs/index.php

 

Use our search to look for programs in all colleges, in more than 40 countries, at: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

First Stamp in my Passport #HogsAbroad #TBT

Having the opportunity to travel on a study abroad trip if not for the Bumper’s College as well as other scholarship donors. For these blessings I am extremely grateful. I applied for my very first passport and counted down the days on my planner. Explaining to friends and family why I chose to travel to Africa was the most challenging part of preparing.

I found myself faced with the question as to “Why Africa?” This is difficult to explain. Simply put, I wanted to see something different from the sites of Europe. There will be a time in my life for that, but I wanted to see something that would change the way I saw my life.


I wanted to share my days with people who lived a simple and harder life but managed to have so much joy. I did just that. I met countless individuals and families that inspired and challenged me.

As for what we did while abroad, the majority of our days were spent at Novos Horizontes, or New Horizons. New Horizons is a poultry operation that provides employment and nutrition for the impoverished Mozambique, and each group of students had different projects to help improve the productivity of the operation. Mozambique is a very poor country that is severely lacking in any kind of infrastructure. Dirt roads are the primary form of transportation anywhere with most families using bicycles to pedal heavy loads of lumber or produce to where they tend to go. Immense respect goes to the African mother who can carry a five gallon bucket of water on her head for miles while having a newborn baby strapped to her side. These people are strong and hard working, giving me a new appreciation for my way of life.

The days at Novos Horizontes were long with a lot of walking or being bumped around in the back of a truck, but we had wonderful excursions on the weekends. Seeing the beaches of Mozambique gave me the opportunity to check off a new body of water and to watch Dr. Keith Bramwell chase palm sized pink crabs across the beach. We kayaked in the ocean, sailed in primitive sailboats to a lagoon, hunted seashells, and toured the oldest European building in the Southern Hemisphere. Our last excursion took our group to South Africa where we went on three safaris, saw countless breathtaking creatures in a natural habitat, and ate the first good meal we had since landing in Mozambique. New foods were tasted (with repercussions of being sick for several days), new friendships were made, and the new experience of traveling abroad has deepened my desire to travel. I have now been to two continents other than North America thanks to our layover in London. The seven-hour layover was nowhere near enough time to explore, but I am grateful for the few hours I had. I am so grateful for every hour of this trip because I learned so much. I am very glad I chose Mozambique as my study abroad destination, and am so appreciative for this experience.

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Learn more about studying abroad as a Bumpers college student at: http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/programs/international-programs/index.php

 

Use our search to look for programs in all colleges, in more than 40 countries, at: http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/