My Study Abroad Experience: Part 1

Hello fellow Eagles and anyone on the internet who clicked this link,

This is part one of a two part post about my experience on a Study Abroad course this Summer. This post is going to be dedicated to the "pre-departure" part of the course and tips to prepare yourself if you decide to take part in one of these experiences.

The study abroad I am traveling with is History & Systems of Psychology (PSY 453). It is my last required Psychology course for my major. This is the second time this class has ran as a study abroad option and I actually found out about it from Caitlin Baumer, one of the Graduate Assistants at The Honors College. We have had class one a week before the trip and have spent time going over course material and discussing side excursions while we are in Europe.

It's about a 12 day trip starting the 23rd of this month until July 6th, with stops in these destinations:

• Vienna, Austria (Freud Museum)
• Wurzburg, Germany (History of Psychology Museum)
• Leipzig, Germany (Wundt Room)
• London, England  (Darwin House)

#1) Luggage

I had never owned a suitcase before now. I used duffle bags with clothes shoved inside them for any other trip I've ever been on (I haven't traveled a lot). I figured that this trip was a great excuse to invest in a set of suitcases for my adult self.  Below is the luggage set I purchased (mine is Purple - check it out on Amazon here). I wanted something that would stand out, was hardcover and rolled easily. The reviews on this brand were pretty good for the price! I also bought cute luggage tags because why not.

#2) Card & phone usage

In this day and age, most people use their card when they are out for purchases. I am a part of credit union and my cards do not have those new security chips in them. I found out that in Europe, they really only take cards with a chip and you can't access an ATM without a chip either. This was super important information that allowed me to get in contact with someone who could reissue one of my cards so I could use it on the trip. It is also important to make sure you inform your bank that you will be gone so they don't lock your card for strange purchases.

If you are planning to go International in the near future, consider switching to T-Mobile. I just did and they have free international texting and some new Wi-Fi calling features so that you can stay in touch with your family and friends while you are gone. If you don't, be careful for international fees and data charges.

#3) Packing

Having a cute suitcase is great, but now I have to figure out what to pack. I don't know about you but I am notorious for over-packing for everything. That's fine until you realize that there are weight limits restrictions and I have to lug this stuff around for almost two weeks. I also don't want to bring anything I'm not prepared to possibly lose. In this situation, I am taking the advice of my professor Dr. Lauterbach, "packing is about comfort." I'm going to try and bring just the basics. His other advice is "all you really need is your wallet, your passport and your ticket, anything else you can buy once you get to your destination."

Although I am a little nervous, I am so blessed to have the opportunity to go on this trip and have received a few scholarships (one from the Honors College - click here to apply) to be able to go. I am so excited to step out of my comfort zone and go on a once and a lifetime experience like this that will teach me things that I am not able to learn in a typical classroom setting. Click here to check out the study abroad website to see if there are any future trips that interest you.

I look forward to using this blog as the first place to share my experience when I am back home on July 6th!

Wishing you all a great month of June!

"Steigen Höher " - that means "Soar Higher" in German!

Kaylee

Summer Plans At Home!

 Hello Honors students,

I hope you are enjoying the Summer weather we are having this week! As great as it is to be outside during this time of year, sometimes the weather is too hot or stormy to be outside! If you're looking for things to do at home, this post might give you some ideas.

Scrapbooking:

Yes, scrapbooking. If you've never started your own scrapbook before, you might think that it's boring or a lot of work. It is actually, at least for me, super relaxing and fun! The scrapbook itself can really be whatever you want it to be, from a place to document trips to somewhere to put your ticket stubs.

My cousin and I love to scrapbook (I started one for my high school graduation party and have kept adding to it ever sense). Mine is mostly to document trips and concerts I have went to. Here are a few photos of my personal scrapbook (sorry about the glare!):

It's actually a pretty cheap activity to do. All you need is to go to Michael's, JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby and purchase some 12 x 12 paper (which they have super adorable patterns for), print your photos/use your props and for extra cuteness buy a pack of the million of themed stickers they sell at these stores! (P.S. These stores always have their coupons online). You'll also need scissors and glue.

Once you make a few pages, you can purchase a book to put them in so you can show your family and friends! In the days of technology where we take photos on our phones, it can be nice to have a back up of your favorite photos. (Tip: Meijer is a great place to print photos, the more you print the cheaper it is per print and they have an app where you can upload your pictures then pick them up later!)

We hope to see you at our Honors events this upcoming academic year (and this summer!) where we can take pictures that would look great in a scrapbook!

String Art: 
 
If you like something a little more hands on, another great craft I did was string art (I did get this idea from Pinterest). I have done three (look at some photos below):'

For this, it costs a little more (about $20 per board) but all you have to get are these items:

• Wooden board of whatever size you'd like (I got mine from hobby lobby)
• Colored String
• Little nails 
• Print out photo of what you want to outline
• Hammer

I taped the photo of what I wanted to create on the board then I hammered in nails around the edges. After that I removed the paper outline. The final step is knotting the string around one nail and wrapping it around the others and tying it on the last one again. (These steps sound simple and they are but be careful when using the hammer since the nails are so small, this step takes a lot of time and effort).

Thanks for reading and feel free to send pictures if you decide to scrapbook to document your college experience or make some pages as a gift or create awesome string art.

Kaylee

(kbrow107@emich.edu)