DU Abroad

Hi, my name is Anna Sun (yes, like the song), I’m a third year computer science major, and I will be studying abroad at the China Studies Institute in Beijing this fall. I guess the one thing you should know about me is that I have a great appreciation for the small things in life (Literally, I’m obsessed with tiny houses, Mini Coopers, puppies, and other miniature things). I also love discovering the differences in the tiny minutia of everyday life in other countries. So if you’re curious to know the wonders of Chinese online shopping, how bargaining works, and do the Chinese really eat …(fill in the blank)!? (The answer is probably yes, by the way), then you’ve come to the right place!

My decision to study abroad in China wasn’t the most conventional. As a first generation Chinese American, I was born in China, my entire family is from China, I’ve visited China multiple times and I speak fluent Mandarin. For me, studying abroad in China is less about experiencing a new culture or learning a new language and more about connecting with my heritage. There was also another very important reason. At first I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to study abroad at all but after learning that DU had a partner program with the China Studies Institute in Beijing, realized that I absolutely had to go there. I was completely set on going to this specific program because it would be my one chance to study at Beijing University, a school that is spoken of with reverence and awe by my family and revered by Chinese people everywhere. To students in China, Beijing University is the ultimate goal. Being able to attend to the top university in a country of over a billion people is something that most students can only dream about, and here it was being to offered to me with a little checkbox.

I have a feeling that this will be one of the best decisions in my life. There is still so much to experience and learn from the oldest continuous civilization on Earth. Also, having grown up in the United States for the vast majority of my life, China can still be strange and foreign to me; I’m still shocked by the squatty potties, the nonexistent traffic laws, the children peeing in the street with their crotchless pants, and the little old ladies violently fighting over the last eggplant at the market. I’m excited to get this adventure started.

I am kind of the average joe. I mean, my name, Amanda, is one of the top ten girl’s names from 1995. I’m a marketing major. I use French Vanilla Coffeemate. I have a Pinterest board full of sweets I will never make. Totally average over here. However, in the midst of all of that, I have some unique qualities, too. For example, I make toast on my stovetop because I am too stubborn (or maybe too cheap) to buy a toaster. I have a weird vendetta against finishing books. And perhaps most important to this blog, I am about to embark on a study abroad journey to Bilbao, Spain with the organization International Studies Abroad (ISA).

I wasn’t ever sure I wanted to study abroad; I’m still not really sure. But DU gave me that little push to apply. Being unsure, I created a mental list of criteria for my study abroad destination:

Spanish-speaking. This was important to me because I am debating adding a Spanish minor and I thought living in a Spanish-speaking culture could help me determine if I would want to use the language in my career.
City life. Living in a larger city would give more opportunity to sightsee while also providing access to better developed public transport.
A school with “limited” DU students attending. I didn’t move far for college (3 miles away, to be exact), so this would be my opportunity to start fresh and be on my own.
Apartment or dormitory living accommodations. Homestays seem like they would limit my independence because I would be on my host family’s time. I had already moved out on my own, I didn’t want to have parents again!
Service-learning opportunity. I took a service-learning class my freshman year and I think that it gave me a tie to the community that we often take for granted.

Photo by Kadir Cinoglu

In the end, I chose the Universidad de Deusto in Bilbao, Spain. Specifically, I am enrolled in the program for Business, International Relations, and Spanish Language. I can take classes for my marketing major, as well as classes accredited to the Spanish minor at DU. There is also a service-learning course, a tandem program (for partnering with local students to teach each other Spanish and English), and a Spanish cuisine class! Additionally, the city of Bilbao has so much to offer. I look forward to exploring the Bay of Biscay, Mount Artxanda, the art of traditional dance, and the famous Guggenheim Museum.

After reviewing my criteria, I realized that none of the schools met my five requirements. I shouldn’t have set too many expectations before going abroad. And I think recognizing this was one of the best ways to prepare for studying abroad (along with buying a new digital camera, of course). Since it’s a different country and culture, I need to remember that not everything will meet some mental checklist of mine. Learning to “go with the flow” will suit me well on my journey in the fall, especially because I tend to be type A to a fault.

The only criteria the Universidad de Deusto did not meet: residencia living accommodations. Last week, I tried something new and went to a tarot card reader. The tarot reader said that I am too serious and have too much of an old mind to be 20. She said the only way to change this mindset is to let go of the past. I think Bilbao is my opportunity to take this advice. And so, although I’m terrified of living with a host family, I’m going in with a youthful mind. I’m finally ready to immerse myself in a new life this fall.

Hasta luego,

Amanda

An Introduction of Sorts

How I Chose Bilbao, Spain