[A monthly column from Kathleen Heil, studying abroad in Edinburgh this semester]
By the time you read this, I will be running. Frantically. I'll be tugging Big Bertha, my 100-pound suitcase in too. Speaking in sentence fragments even more incoherent than these.
I will be praying to Saint Christopher, the patron saint of people with short connecting flights to other countries (actually, Saint Chris is only the patron saint of travelers, but he could be upping his workload a little bit if you ask me). I will be hoping that my year studying abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland will be fun, of course, but mostly I will be wondering if I will even make it to the land of kilts and calf hair.
Lesson #1: When studying abroad for the academic year, try not to fly three different airlines to one destination.
Lesson #2: If you are dumb enough (or cash-strapped enough) to do this, don't resort to picking from the table scraps of your religion to gain some sort of divine edge over your own stupidity. No saint is that powerful.
Lesson #3: Whatever you do, don't wait until the night before you leave the country to try to squeeze 20 sweaters into one suitcase. You won't have any room left for the rest of your clothes and will wind up having to wear the bulk of your underwear collection on your head. Try explaining that to airport security.
Lesson #4: Cursing and screaming at your suitcase in an attempt to erode its self-esteem and get it to cooperate is not very successful.
Lesson #5: Complementing your luggage doesn't work either (lousy unappreciative luggage).
Okay, so I'm not exactly imparting words of wisdom here. But this year I will be telling you about my (mis)adventures in the hopes that you will (1) think, "Wow, I sure am glad I'm not that stupid," and (2) think, "Wow, if an inept, neurotic, poor excuse for a columnist can make it in another country, anyone can." I hope telling my stories and giving a few practicalities about my experiences will inspire you to consider study abroad as an option for yourself.
The first place to begin is the International Programs Office at ASU. If you are thinking about studying abroad, I recommend doing this at least a year in advance so that you may begin planning your classes in anticipation for the semester(s) you may be away.
If at all possible, try to go on a Summer Sessions study abroad program. These are considerably shorter and usually expose you to several locations briefly so that you can get an idea of what country or city you might like to study in. Failing that, keep in mind the criteria you might desire in your host institution: Do you like big cities or small towns? Do you hate cold weather? Small schools? Have you always wanted to kiss a Spaniard?
I will be studying at the University of Edinburgh as an exchange student through the International Programs Office. Exchange programs are excellent because rather than paying a program fee to study abroad, you remain enrolled as an ASU student and continue to pay ASU tuition. Even better, if you have any scholarships or financial aid (be they grants or tuition wavers), you may apply them towards the cost of the exchange program since you are still technically enrolled at ASU.
Of course, unless you speak a foreign language fluently, you are limited to studying in English-speaking countries. But there are many options in the United Kingdom and Australia, so this shouldn't be a big deal.
I can't wait to spend my academic year in Edinburgh. I can't wait to gain a new appreciation for Arizona's blistering sun as I fall into the throes of depression from the mere nine hours of daylight Edinburgh has in the dead of winter. But, mostly, I can't wait to be relieved of trying to make all of my crazy connecting flights.
Please, say a novena for Big Bertha, my poor, bloated 100-pound suitcase. See you in Scotland.
Kathleen Heil is a religious studies junior. Reach her at Kathleen.heil@asu.edu.
