The Single Step

So, this is my last night in America. Kind of freaking out a little bit and it's late, so this is going to be a short post. I am spending a lot of time thinking about the people I am going to miss while I am gone and I worry that I won't be able to handle the challenges ahead. There is so much that is unknown and unpredictable it's a little startling. I am scared and at the same time it is so incredibly exciting that it has been hard to sleep the last couple of days. I hope that this marks a milestone, not just in this journey but in my life as a whole. I think I am ready to take the leap. As countless people have told me, "just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and don't forget to breathe." Here it goes. See you on the other side.

Pre-departure Orientation

After meeting with my Study Abroad Adviser several times, applying for every scholarship that I could, filing numerous different applications, and swimming upstream through a river of paper work (okay so I may be exercising my right to the use of hyperbole) , it was time for the Pre-departure Orientation. Now, for me, this was not as much pre-departure as it was pre-pre-departure. This was a meeting for all students that would be spending a semester abroad the following semester, because the semester in Germany doesn't start until April this meeting was about four months too early. That being said, I am actually grateful that it was that early.

If you haven't pieced it together yet, I like to have things planned out and ready well before they need to be finished. In fact, that is how I survived my degree, and this experience is really taking me out of my comfort zone. Anyway, the meeting. At the Pre-departure meeting they covered a great deal of information and gave us the last bits of paperwork that we needed to complete before our travels. There were representatives from several different groups that talked to us about anticipating, identifying, and coping with culture shock and depression. I am excited to see what happens and learn to handle it. We also discussed traveling safety in different countries; this is actually one of the things that I am most worried about. Germany is supposed to be a very safe country to travel in, but I am still very worried about my things disappearing  I am sure it is just paranoia but I plan on being extra careful. In addition to travel safety, we discussed safe sex. This wasn't anything that we hadn't heard at least a dozen times before, but many people seem to lower their guard in this respect while traveling. I have no idea why, but there it is.

We also had a people make some recommendations on how to make our trip more memorable and last through the years. One recommendation  which I am doing right now, was to write a blog during your travels. In addition to this I am planning to keep a daily journal. It may sound weird to some people but it works wonders. I wrote in a journal all through my month long NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) course and I can now revisit memories that would have long since disappeared otherwise. They also discussed the particulars of taking quality photos, making a video blog, and making a summary video of your trip. On suggestion made by another student, was to keep a little book where you write down funny quotes and saying while you are with your friends. The single most common bit of advice I have received is this. Don't just hang out with Americans. I will do my best but it would be nice to see someone from the states once and a while.

To me, the most useful information they gave us at this meeting was the Study Abroad Handbook. I have already discussed the numerous topics and uses of this handbook and it really is a wonderful tool for getting ready to travel. I recommend getting this as far in advance as you can. I think that this meeting was a very important step for preparing to travel abroad. Unfortunately  my being myself, it served to enhance my paranoia as much as id did my excitement. As I was told, "If you aren't uncomfortable and at least a little scared, you aren't doing it right." Well I certainly hope so because this is very thrilling and frightening at the same time.

Study Abroad Adviser

At my first meeting with my Study Abroad Adviser, we discussed where I wanted to go and why and began the herculean process of of completing all of the paperwork necessary for my application to both UW and Braunschweig. Oh yeah, that’s something that will catch you off guard in a hurry. You will have to complete an application for the University of Wyoming and an application for the University or Program you wish to attend. It’s a bit of a redundancy I know, but there it is. It’s a bit of a redundancy I know, but there it is (not a typo). The application process was really not that difficult and the my advisor was incredible helpful in hunting down the necessary information. There was a lot of work to be done but plenty of time and I had been expecting much more.

It was at this point that I ran into my first real setback and major disappointment. I had heard from various sources that it would not be necessary to start processing all of the paperwork and applications until the semester before my departure. As I wasn’t planning on traveling until the spring semester, I waited until Fall Semester of 2012 to meet with my academic advisor and to start applying for scholarships. BIG mistake! At the University of Wyoming (I have now experience with other universities) the majority of the scholarships are only awarded on a yearly basis regardless of when they will be implemented. Even though I would not need the money until April of 2013, the most of the international scholarships to which I could apply had deadlines as early as January 16, 2012. This was a major disappointment and I had to scramble to meet the remaining deadlines. Despite this obstacle, I was still able to receive substantial financial aid in the form of the Cheney Scholarship, the A&S Sanders-Walters Study Abroad Scholarship, and a Study Abroad Scholarship from the College of Engineering.

My advice to anyone seeking to spend a semester abroad is simply this. DO IT EARLY! I would recommend meeting with a Study Abroad Adviser at least two semesters before you plan to leave and as early on as humanly possible. Don’t let anyone (friends, family, whoever) convince you to put it off until later. You lose absolutely nothing by taking the initiative this far in advance and it will help you avoid my predicament with the scholarships. There is also some other great information that you can get from this process I wish I had found in advance. For one, websites for universities like Braunschweig can be very confusing, redundant, outdated, and difficult to navigate, and that is assuming you have a fast way to translate the page (I recommend Google Chrome for this as it has an automatic translation option). Looking back, the scholarships should have been obvious, but an early meeting can help avoid these problems. Finally, be sure to ask about the Study Abroad Handbook. This is a resource that I did not find out about until late in the process and it is just filled with great information including a list of books that will help you understand a country’s culture in advance.

Getting Started

My adventure in Germany doesn’t officially begin until March 1st 2013, but I’ve been preparing for the trip for months. If you’re curious about the process of setting up for a study abroad trip, wonder no longer! Here is what you need to study abroad.

First, go to an information session at the International Programs Office! It doesn’t matter if you already know where you want to go, if you are just toying with the idea, if you enjoyed a friends stories, if you are a freshman or senior, or even if you have no desire to spend a semester abroad at all. No matter who you are, this meeting will help get you started and give you more information than you know what to do with, and even if, and I stress if, you are still not interested, you will have lost nothing and gained a bit of illumination. If possible, do this semesters before you plan on leaving. I cannot speak to how things will work in the future, this semester (Spring 3013) the sessions are offered  Monday 1:10-2:00pm and Thursday 2:10-3:00pm every week in room 129 on the main floor of the Cheney International Center. By the time I went to this meeting, I knew exactly where I wanted to go; I  was ready to get started.

My next step was contact the international studies office and request a meeting with a study abroad adviser to discuss the wheres, whens, whys, and hows of my hypothetical time abroad. If you’re reading this blog in an attempt to prepare for their own journey, I recommend that you first spend several hours learning the ins and outs of of the Study Abroad webpage before arranging a meeting. Even if you are like me and would have difficulty web-surfing your way out of an electronically constructed paper bag, this is a very important site with lots of good information and is well worth the effort, and here, for no reason whatsoever, is a picture of a puppy. Yay!

There are some particular points of interest on UW’s Study Abroad page. The first and most important place to go is the Where Can I Go link. This is where I learned the difference between a Study Abroad, an Exchange, and a Faculty Lead Program and this is also where I decided I wanted to go to the Technical University of Braunschweig Germany. The next link you should click on is the Application Process link. This page outlines the broad strokes of what you will need to do and gives great information on getting a passport and eligibility for international studies. If you take the time to go through these links and glimpse through the rest of the site, it will make things easier once your meeting rolls around!

Now for a little bit more about me. I obviously like dogs, but I also love cats, rabbits, and rats. I just love animals. Living out in the country I am a little biased towards bigger dogs like the one seen below. His name is Crockett and he has been the family puppy for over ten years now. He is a pure Yellow Lab and weighs over 120 lbs.