Oh, Ireland. It's Good Night, Not Goodbye

15 plane rides. 

6 countries visited.

5 hour time difference.

4 flatmates turned friends.

3 classes 3x a week.

2 pairs of boots ruined.
1 semester abroad.

1 amazing journey.

Newcastle, Northern Ireland

Oh, Ireland.

What a beautiful, beautiful country you are. You gave me so many opportunities to make new friends, delve into your culture, explore the world, and ultimately grow as a person. This won’t be the last time that I write about you, but now the semester is over. It's good night, not goodbye. I plan on coming back one day to make even more memories and relive some old ones.

Me at the highest peak in Northern Ireland.

Christmas is here; and even though I have an exam to take in January, it’s time to go home. I’m writing this as I’m sitting in Newark’s airport, reminiscing about all the time I had and how I wish I could have a little bit more. I feel like I had just gotten the hang of things – I learned how to live on my own for the first time. I can cook a fine shepherd’s pie from scratch, navigate a new city without much trouble, and I can almost say goodbye without shedding a tear. That last part may be a bit of stretch, but that’s okay because I've made so many wonderful friends and had so many amazing experiences.  

Our goodbye party in my flat.

With new international friends in Australia, China, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, France, and more, I have so much more of the world to see. Then comes planning the road trips to visit my friends in the U.S. I can’t wait to share my stories with you all next semester. Studying abroad has been my favorite highlight of 2015 and I’m excited to see what 2016 has to offer.

Friends and I climbing the Moore mountains.

Have a merry holiday and a blessed New Year.

Best,

Kim

Weekend Getaways for European Study Abroad Students

When studying abroad, exploring is natural and expected. Exploring the campus and the surrounding cities is an obvious must, but extra travel is affordable, easy to-do, and can add a variety of valuable experiences to your trip. At my university, three classes a week/once a week is standard. So, by scheduling my classes on Monday and Wednesday, I was able to have a four-day weekend for my entire stay. So, if you have an open schedule, you should take advantage of it. Here are my tips to getting the most out of your study abroad experience by travelling the world. 

First, you need to consider these two travel experiences: travelling like a tourist and living like a local. I think the best travel experiences are a balanced blend of both. Once you have determined your travel type, you can plan your trip. For example, when I visited Barcelona I knew that I wanted to visit Park Güell but I also wanted to eat tapas and sample sangria. So, I picked a day that I would visit the park and then left my meals unplanned so that I could ask locals where their favorite places to eat were. I was able to get the best of both worlds. 

An authentic brick oven pizza shop in Florence recommended by a student living in Italy. It was packed with so many locals that there was hardly room to stand.

Now, travelling can be expensive, but it is generally much cheaper in Europe than in the United States. As far as booking your travel, there are several websites that will help you find the cheapest fares and discounts. One of my favorites is  Student Universe. With a valid student email address, you can get special discounts on flights, hotels, and hostels. Here I was able to get hostels as low as €8 a night that included breakfast. 

Hostels are the best way to save money and meet new people while travelling. A hostel is a like a stripped-down hotel. There are several beds in one room (though you can usually pay a little more money if you want less beds in the room). Sheets are generally provided, but you will need to bring your own toiletries and other add-ons like towels and blankets. Lockers are usually provided, though most times you will need to bring your own lock. Always be sure to double-check what is and isn't included in your stay because every hostel is different. Hostelworld is another site that I've used that offers affordable accommodation. 

Some essentials you might want to consider bringing: a water bottle, entertainment (cards, books, etc.), and travel friendly toiletries. 

As far as flights, Google Flights is one of the best search engines because it will show you the price drops within three days of your travel. So, if you have a flexible schedule, you can get some amazing prices on discount airlines. For example, I have a roundtrip flight booked for Portugal that only cost €40. I couldn't get from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia with that price, and those cities are in the same state!

Me at the famous dome in Florence. I wore these jeans and boots for every day of that trip!

Finally, for packing just remember these two words: pack light. For a weekend getaway, a carryon will generally suffice. Most airlines will allow a carryon and a smaller personal item, so it's pretty easy to avoid paying for a checked bag. A sample of what I brought with me to Florence last weekend was this: 

• Two sweaters
• Hoodie 
• Lightweight rain-jacket
• Scarf
• Pair of jeans 
• Comfortable boots 
• Long-sleeved t-shirt 
• Sleeping shorts
• Socks & underwear 
• Laptop & charger 
• Travel adapter 
• Toiletries and minimal makeup
• Bathing suit 
• Small purse
• Water bottle

I only brought my laptop because we had a six-hour layover in Amsterdam and I had a paper due the day after I got back. But, if I didn't bring the laptop, then I would've had room for at least one more outfit. The thing to remember is that clothes like jeans and chunky sweaters can be worn several times before they need washed. This is a personal preference, of course, but it'll save you space and weight. 

The benefit of using a backpack is that if you book a later flight home, then you can still explore the city without being weighed down with a suitcase. The above picture shows how much smaller my backpack is compared to my standard sized carryon. 

I hope that gave you guys some good tips on weekend getaways. Let me know if you plan on studying abroad or where you would like to go! 


Best, 

Kim 

So You Want to Study Abroad?

If you're looking to study abroad for a semester or for a year, then look no further! In my vlog, I show my campus and local scenery in Northern Ireland. I also give a few tips to help make your study broad experience the best time of your life. Enjoy and stay tuned for my vlogs like this!

The Semester's Over...What Now?

For me, this past semester was a whirlwind of exams, events, long nights, Sheetz runs (or Eat n Park runs for milkshakes), tutoring sessions, volunteering, and so, so much fun. But every school year has its end, and I'm happy to say I managed straight As this semester - the long nights really are worth it. But what does a college student do once the finals are finished? There are so many options, but ultimately the choice is yours.

Here are my suggestions:
1. Get a part-time or summer job. It'll look great on your resume, as well as putting some cash in your pocket. I was a camp counselor last year and had the time of my life. I met international friends, tried new things like zip-lining and white water rafting, and made the best memories.

2. Even better would be a summer internship. Paid or unpaid, it gets you valuable experience within your field. Plus it lets you know the ins and outs of a career field. You'll find out if you could see a future with that job.

3. Take summer classes. You don't have to do this, but it can help keep you on track for graduating on time if you're double majoring or something like that.

4. Travel. If you're in high school, I'd recommend having a summer job, saving every penny, and traveling the next summer. As you gain a career and move deeper into adulthood, in can be difficult to find the time or money to travel. Take advantage of it while you can!

5. Relax! After you graduate college, vacation time will probably be harder to come by, so enjoy your time off. But don't get lazy. Keep busy with friends, hobbies, and more.

Whatever you do, I wish you the best of luck. Have a great summer,

Kim

Fun Things to Do in the 'Burgh: Part 2

If you're a fan of Pittsburgh sports, then La Roche might be a great choice for you! With a partnership with the Pittsburgh Pirates, La Roche always gets reasonably priced tickets to go to baseball games - think $10. But we definitely don't leave out the other teams. In the fall we generally sell tickets for Steelers games. And in the winter and spring, La Roche sells tickets for a few Penguins games.

2/22/15 against the Florida Panthers

The price ranges anywhere from $30-$40 for Penguins tickets. Even if you're not a fan of watching sports, it's really easy to get into the games. There's just something special about being there in person - getting free merch and nicknacks (like my super cool hate I got at the door!), eating nachos and various other stadium foods, and cheering along with the crowd. I can't think of a better way to spend a night in Pittsburgh if you're a sports fan!

Best, 

Kim

Fun Things to Do in the 'Burgh: Part 1

La Roche is the perfect location for those who want a little bit of the city life without living in the city. Being on a suburban campus feels safe, and it feels like home. But no one wants to stay in all of the time! Being 15-20 minutes away from downtown Pittsburgh is a godsend. In this mini series, I am going to just highlight some of the cool stuff I've been able to do off of campus. Don't worry about having a car (though we do let freshmen have cars on campus) because La Roche provides transportation for most of our school sponsored events.

The first event that I'm covering is an event Jubilee. Jubilee is a conference held by the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO) downtown every winter. Last weekend, it was held in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The conference is a mix of speakers, workshops, live music, worship, and extra social games at the end of the day. Some notable speakers included the founder of To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), Jamie Tworkowski and New York Times bestselling author, Bob Goff.

La Roche's Jubilee group for 2015

The point of the weekend conference was to connect your faith into your calling. There were workshops for every major - engineering, communication, education, and so much more. I'm not a terribly religious person, but I found that this retreat offered me a lot of insight into faith, but even more so, on being human. It's something that I would recommend to anyone, regardless of their religious background.

It was was an eye-opening, enlightening, and most importantly fun weekend. There were a over a thousand people there, including several local colleges and universities. Check out this quick video that shows what I walked into last Friday night. This doesn't even show all of the people who were there!

Best,

Kim

Go Big or Go Home is Not Always the Answer

You've heard it before: bigger is better; go big or go home. These fun phrases apply to many aspects of life, but not always to your choice of college. There are a lot of differences between large and small universities, and these differences are what's going to help you decide on where to attend. When I'm giving tours to prospective students, I usually ask them what other schools they're considering. Many times there will be a great juxtaposition between La Roche and the other colleges they're planning on touring. It's always best to explore your options, and really think about what you want in a college.

There are pros and cons to any college choice, but the most important question you need to ask yourself is: is this the best fit for me? Everything from the professors, to the location, to the average class size, to even the food can be huge (or even deciding) factors to your choice.

Here are my top benefits to attending La Roche, a small Catholic college:

• Small Class Sizes

Most of my classes have about 15 students in them. My largest class ever, an intro Marketing class, had about 30. It's not uncommon for larger universities to have classes with upwards of one hundred students.

• Personal Relationships with Your Professors

Our small class sizes make it really easy to create and sustain relationships with your professors. These relationships have really helped me when I've needed letters of recommendations. I'd recommend making good relationships with professors within your major because you'll have the most classes with them.

• It's Easy to Stand Out

This can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. When you have a dozen students in a class, it's really easy for a professor to notice when you're skipping class, dozing off, and other negative habits. But on the flip side, if you are attentive, participate, and are overall a good student, then it's easy for your professor to remember who you are. This really helps with building those relationships I talked about above.

• Small Campus = Less Walking

Rain, snow, wind, whatever it may be, you won't have to deal with it for very long! Our freshmen dorm is right next to the building where most classes are held. I've timed it and it's about a 30 second walk between those buildings. Plus, it takes about five minutes to get to class on time from your dorm room. This is definitely an underrated perk.

Consider these points the next time you visit a college campus, and think about how you fit into that college. Best of luck,

Kim